Bayelsa Govt Accuses APC Chieftains of Perpetuating Massive Payroll Fraud  

By Emmanuel Addeh in Yenagoa 

The Bayelsa State Government has blamed the chieftains of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former governor, Chief Timipre Sylva, for allegedly creating room for payroll fraud, employment racketeering and other unethical practices in the civil service while in  office.

Speaking during an interactive meeting at Twon-Brass in Brass Local Government Area of the state on Saturday, the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mr. Daniel Iworiso-Markson said the style of governance of the immediate past administration created room for rot and decay in the public sector.

He was reacting to an allegation by the APC Chairman in Bayelsa, Mr. Amos Jothan, decrying the purported sack of 28,000 civil servants in the ongoing public service reforms at a time of economic hardship.

“The way the government carried the reforms shows that they lacked ideas and are not capable of managing reforms”, the APC Chair had said.

But in a riposte, the Bayelsa government accused the Sylva-led administration of leaving behind huge debts and over-bloated wage bills which the present administration is addressing through the ongoing public service reforms.

The Government Spokesman said it was rather shocking that a political party would give overt support to certificate forgers, age falsifiers, octogenarian civil servants, those receiving salaries from multiple agencies of government, workers who do not go to the office, Diaspora workers and those behind the ghost workers debacle in the state.

He also warned civil servants against involvement in partisan politics, stressing that government would not allow any unholy alliance of disgruntled civil servants and APC saboteurs to thwart the ongoing efforts to reform the public sector.

“Bayelsans will not make the mistake of allowing such characters to lead them again as they lack the political will to do what is right to move the state forward.

“The Governor Dickson-led administration will not sack any genuine worker. So people should disregard the cheap blackmail sponsored by some APC stalwarts that government has sacked 28,000 workers.

“We have given that assurance. And we mean it. Every right-thinking person within and outside the state is in support of what the government is doing,” he said.

According to him, only criminally-minded persons have failed to see the importance of the reforms.

“Instead of blackmailing this administration they should thank the Governor for clearing the rot they created.

“We are not bothered because the reforms have come to stay and nothing will stop us from implementing them. Because they do not mean well for the state, they have started promising people that they will reinstate the ghost workers that have been removed from the payroll,” he added.

“It is unfortunate and indeed shocking that the APC members in their delusion are promising those affected by the reforms that if they take over power come 2020, they will reverse the reforms and reinstate them back to work.”

In his welcome address, the Caretaker Committee Chairman of Brass local government area, Mr. Victor Isaiah saluted the efforts of the reforms team, noting that the Council now saves an average of N10 million monthly.

According to Isaiah, the total monthly wage bill of N116 million comprising the salaries of council and primary school staff had been reduced to N106 million.

Stakeholders who endorsed the reforms included a former Deputy Majority Leader, Chief Victor Sam Ateki, the Commissioner for Transport, Mr. Dauprebo Ikuromo, his Culture and Ijaw National Affairs counterpart, Mr. Austin Dressman and the Special Adviser to the Governor on Students Affairs, Mr. Austin Adigio.

Others were the representative of traditional rulers from the area, Alabo Amakiri, former local government chairmen including Chieftain Percy Kromain, Hon Bello Bina, a women representative, Mrs. Dogiye Silas Deibo and the Secretary of NULGE in the area, Mr. Otonte Iyabi