Seriake Dickson bows to teachers, approves January salaries

 

The Governor of Bayelsa State, Mr. Seriake Dickson, has given in to pressure by teachers and approved the full payment of January salaries to post-primary teachers.
The governor also promised to pay 50 per cent of their May salaries in order to bring them at par with other civil servants in the state, a statement on Saturday by his Chief Press Secretary, Daniel Iworiso-Markson, said.

The teachers had on Friday protested against the decision of the governor to pay them half of May salaries out of five months they were being owed.
The aggrieved teachers had gathered at the Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha Memorial Centre in Yenagoa to receive their salaries earlier as promised them by the governor.
But trouble was said to have started when the teachers noticed that the government was only willing to pay 50 per cent of their May salaries.
The teachers, who were not pleased with the situation, rejected the offer, stormed out of the centre and marched on the streets in protest.
The teachers were reportedly angry because they were not paid in January while civil servants in some ministries in the state were fully paid for that month.
The teachers had expected the governor to pay them in full for January before negotiating half payment for May.
In response to their request, Dickson, during his meeting with the protesting teachers said his administration placed high premium on education and as such he would do everything to make them happy.
Accordingly, the governor made good on his promise approving full payment of their January salaries less than 24 hours after the meeting.
The governor, who blamed the country’s dwindling economic fortunes for the salary delay, assured the workers that February, March and April salary arrears would be paid when the situation improves.
He thanked the affected teachers for their tolerance and understanding as he called on members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities at the state-owned Niger Delta University to show understanding with government, especially now that the country was facing the worst economic challenges ever.