Iworiso-Markson: Ongoing reforms in Bayelsa to save public service from collapse

The Bayelsa State Government, on Friday, said ongoing public service reforms were to save the state civil service from imminent collapse due to bloated wage bill of about N4 billion monthly.
Commissioner for Information, Daniel Iworiso-Markson, said on Friday in Yenagoa that the reforms were in overall public interest.
Through the reforms, the Bayelsa government had commenced its plans to downsize its workforce and had directed removal of 222 staff from its radio station and newspaper in what it called ‘redeployment’.
According to a letter dated April 6, 2018, signed by Zidafomo, addressed to General Manager of Bayelsa Newspaper Corporation, Publishers of New Waves Newspapers and Radio Bayelsa 222 workers were listed as ‘excess workers’.
Iworiso-Markson, who spoke against the backdrop of concerns by the affected staff and labour leaders, allayed fears that they had been sacked, explaining that the affected workers would be trained and deployed to other areas of need.
According to him, those found unsuitable in the public service will be eased out with financial assistance to start off their businesses.
A committee set up by Governor Seriake Dickson on Staffing and Funding of MDAs had compiled the list of surplus staff which is being released in batches.
The letter directed the management of the two media outlets to withhold and remit the April salaries of affected workers to a special account at the Office of the Accountant General of the state.
The commissioner explained that the decision to redeploy personnel in the public service identified to be redundant by their supervisors to other agencies was in their best interest and that of the public.
Iworiso-Markson said that as painful as the government’s action was, the welfare of those affected had been taken into consideration as the government was sensitive to the feeling of the people.
He said that the government had embarked on painstaking process of implementing the reforms with a view to pursuing it to a logical conclusion.
The commissioner said that the government was resolute in its decision to redeploy the affected workers as it would be inimical to the interest of the state to sustain a process that would clog its development.
He said that for instance, the state radio station had over 300 personnel, while its private radio stations operate effectively with less than 12 personnel.
According to him, it is the decision of government to screen, train and redeploy workers with specialisation in education to schools since the state was in need of teachers.
While calling for more understanding, the commissioner said that the reforms had thrown up some discoveries which included over 8,000 inherited appointments.
Iworiso-Markson explained that some family members of deceased civil servants inherited their positions, while irregular appointments, arbitrary promotion and impersonations had to the bloated wage bill which the government was gradually reducing.
He said that the withheld salaries of those penciled as excess staff would be released to them as soon as their redeployment is concluded.
“The exercise itself is still ongoing and the entire public service is aware.
“You must note that the names of the people listed for redeployment are those submitted as redundant workers by the general managers and supervisors.
“The general managers of the affected MDAs were given the responsibility to fish out redundant personnel many of who were employed under questionable circumstances.
“So, Government is saying that this is not sustainable.
The onus is on government to bring them in, check their qualifications and redeploy them to appropriate agencies.
“Anybody with B. ED for instance, would go to the teachers training institute, trained and redeployed.
“ Government will use these people to teach,” Iworiso-Markson.
He also decried the sale of appointment slots for N250,000 and other employment racketeering, which he said, was rife in local councils and parastatals and vowed that the government would no loger condone same.