The Bayelsa State Executive Council has approval the employment of 65 medical personnel, including medical doctors, pharmacists and medical laboratory scientists, to meet the manpower needs in the health sector.
The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Dr. Kojo Omietimi, who disclosed this during a press briefing on Thursday, explained that this was part of the resolutions of the 67thSession of the Executive Council Meeting, in Government House, Yenagoa, pointing out that, the Executive Council has earmarked N11 million monthly for the payment of their salaries.
He joined the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Hon. Jonathan Obuebite and his counterparts in the ministries of Education, Lands and Survey and Housing Development in briefing.
According to him, by the end of this month, arrangements would be concluded for the medical personnel to commence a one year internship.
He also announced that the Council approved the release of N150 million for the completion of the 5 referral hospitals in Sagbama, Kaiama, Ogbia, Oporoma and Ekeremor, which have attained various stages of completion.
According to him, Council resolved that the hospital projects be completed, through direct labour, in view of the lean finances of the state occasioned by the shortfall in the federation allocation to States.
Omietimi, who stresssed that, the government approved funds for the procurement and installation of an incinerator at the Niger Delta University Teaching Hospital, Okolobiri also gave approval for the purchase of a land ambulance to improve health service delivery.
According to him, Council approved the release of funds for 3 Rounds of Immunization Days as the World Health Organization, WHO, has made available its counterpart funds to enable the state conduct the exercise before the end of this year.
Also speaking, the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Hon. Jonathan Obuebite, said Council approved the Medium Term Expenditure Framework, MTEF document for the years 2017, 2018 and 2019 and directed all ministries to forward their proposals for the 2017 budget to facilitate implementation of the budget by January 2017.
Hon. Obuebite also noted that, Council directed the Ministry of Justice to forward a bill to the State House of Assembly for an enabling law to establish the Direct Labour Agency in the light of the economic downturn.
He noted that, all ministries, departments and agencies were expected to set up direct labour units to undertake quick-win projects, noting that, the measure would go a long way to empower youths as well as manage scarce resources.
Meanwhile, the state government has constituted a special task force to retrieve all government lands illegally acquired by individuals, communities and companies within and outside Yenagoa as part of efforts to create a planned modern city.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony of the task force in Government House, Yenagoa, Governor Seriake Dickson charged members to commence the process of recovering all such lands from trespassers in the next two weeks.
The Governor who condemned the practice whereby individuals and communities within and outside Yenagoa take over government lands with impunity after compensation has been paid, noted that the development has contributed to making Yenagoa a slum.
He, therefore, directed the Committee for Urban Development, Board of Physical Planning and Development Control, Ministry of Lands and Housing and their agencies to notify owners of buildings that do not conform with the State Master plan for such structures to be demolished.
Dickson however noted that, the team responsible for recovering government lands and property would carry out an assessment for structures already built on government lands and if the development attracts a waiver, an appropriate levy would be paid.
He said land developers were expected to follow due process by acquiring an approved building plan from the Ministry of Lands and Housing and other relevant agencies as it was the practice in any modern city.
According to Dickson, his administration is creating land for development purposes in the new Yenagoa city, Agbura and Ayama for low, medium and high density planned areas, which will be unveiled soon.
To enable members of the task force carry out their duties effectively and successfully, the Governor said security agencies would support them to deliver on their assignment.
Responding, Chairman of the Special Task Force, Mr. Bobolayefa Woupele, expressed gratitude to the Governor for finding them worthy for the task ahead and promised to work with all stakeholders to meet government’s expectation.
