4 hours ago
5
By Aherhoke Okioma
The organized Labour in Bayelsa state, the Nigerian Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress ( NLC and TUC ) have berated and lampooned Engr Udengs Eradiri for saying that the current project, construction of the nine storey building being embarked upon by the Bayelsa state government is a misplaced priority and irrelevant to the workers in Bayelsa state.
“The Organized labour, NLC and TUC in a press statement jointly signed by their Chairmen Barnabas Simeon for Nigerian Labour Congress and Laye Julius for Trade Union Congress respectively reads in part.
“The attention of Organized Labour in Bayelsa State, namely the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), has been drawn to a statement credited to a former Commissioner in the state, Engr. Udengs Eradiri, that the building of a new nine-storey Secretariat by the state government was a misplaced priority and irrelevant to workers in the state”
The statement further said “Engr . Eradiri also stated that workers were not complaining about lack of office spaces.
The leadership of organized labour in the state is not interested in the politics behind such statement but rather would like to place the facts on record as it concerned the workforce.
For more than seven years, the NLC and TUC have been clamouring for a befitting and work-friendly Secretariat. This demand has been part of previous May Day celebrations”
“However , during this year’s Labour Day, the two centres had reason to commend His Excellency Governor Douye Diri for listening to the yearning of workers by awarding the contract for the new Secretariat Building.
We recall that there was massive employment of workers in 2019 where First Class graduates were given automatic jobs in the state civil service in addition to converting all casual workers to full time staff as well as employing 1,000 workers. So, office space and accommodation became a serious issue in the civil service”
It also said that “since coming on board, the Senator Douye Diri administration has also employed workers in specialised areas and has recently given approval to the Civil Service Commission to employ another 1,000 staff. Clearly, the current office spaces are inadequate to accommodate all of these personnel.
It is stating the obvious that the crowded nature of the available offices affects productivity. A situation where Directors share offices with clerical officers has turned management staff offices to open registry.
READ ALSO: Mahmoud hails female journalists’ role in curbing insecurity
Besides, some ministries and parastatals occupy less than 15 rooms. For instance, the State Ministry of Health and the Hospital Management Board share one floor of the present secretariat building. While the management of the State Local Government Service Commission was in the old Secretariat Building, the staff were in Annex 5, making it difficult for staff to work directly under the Commissioners”
The organized Labour stated further that “Without mincing words, Bayelsa State still lags behind some other states in the Niger Delta in terms of conducive work environment.
Several governments since Bayelsa was created have spent hugely on rents for agencies’ accommodation. At the moment, the state’s Higher Education Loans Board occupies a private building.
So, the completion of the new Secretariat will help to make such expenditure and drain on the finances of the state a thing of the past.
It was on this note we pleaded with His Excellency, Senator Douye Diri, to build the edifice, which he obliged. The NLC and TUC are therefore grateful to the Governor for listening to our demand and awarding the contract for the iconic structure.
We are equally keeping pace with the ongoing construction and express delight that the work is on course. We believe and pray that with adequate funding, the secretariat project will be completed within the stipulated 24 months duration
We therefore make this appeal to the general public to disregard any misinformation meant to distract government from this laudable project. His Excellency has proved in the last five years that he is workers friendly and we encourage him to remain steadfast.” It stated.
English (US) ·