BAYELSA: NULGE SUSPENDS PROTEST AGAINST WORKERS WILL

Bayelsa state Local government staffs are being owed between six to 12 months salaries across the eight local government councils in the state.

It could be recalled that in September 2015, the Bayelsa State Government through the federal government had already secured a bailout fund, amounting to N12.85bn for the councils from the CBN, to enable them pay workers.

Despite this, the state government up till this moment are yet to live up to their responsibility.

This led the joint state executive council (JSEC) of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), and the Medical and Health Worker's Union of Nigeria (MHWUN) in Bayelsa to plan a 10,000 march street protest.

It will be recalled that on April 18, 2016, the JSEC had given the Bayelsa State Government a seven-day ultimatum to commence the payment of salaries, which was expected to expire by Wednesday, April 27, 2016.

According to our source, the protest which was supposed to hold between 30th April - 7th may 2016, following failure of the government to meet up it's demand has been halted.

Surprisingly, against the interest of the masses, the group which had a meeting with the government, resolved to suspend the planned protest, stating their reasons that the government had shown genuine concern and commitment to pay the accumulated salaries, which has ran into several months.

The resolution read in part: "The Joint State Executive Council of NULGE and MHWUN, based on all the efforts made by the Government to quickly pay the salaries in its meeting held today, 27th April, 2016, resolved unanimously to suspend the planned Thursday 28th April, 2016 10,000 workers mass protest."

Briefing the media at the NULGE House in Kpansia, Yenagoa, the NULGE State Deputy President, Comrade Gowon Toruyouyei, clarified that the 10,000-man protest has not been shelved out but only put on suspension to enable government to fulfill its commitment to commence payment not later than Thursday, May 5, 2016.

Meanwhile, some local government workers had frowned at their decision, insinuating that the Union might have compromised the people's interest for it's personal gains.