The Federated Union of Bayelsa Students in Nigerian Universities (FUBSINU) yesterday called on the Governor of Bayelsa State, Hon. Henry Seriake Dickson, to compel the chairmen of the eight local governments councils in the state to take urgent steps to pay their workers including the arrears.

The group is an amalgam of Bayelsa State student groups drawn from various tertiary institutions across the country.

A statement issued in Yenagoa by the Publicity Secretary of FUBSINU, Mr. Wisdom Eteli, said despite the dwindling revenue accrued to the LGs, payment of salary should be made a top priority.

While urging the chairmen to take a cue from Governor Dickson, as he had always paid workers in the state as a matter of responsibility, the student body said any further delay in the payment of staff in the local governments was unacceptable.

The organisation said that the current financial situation in the country called for sacrifice, noting that it had every reason to believe that Governor Dickson must be making huge sacrifices in order to meet up with the regular payment of workers’ salaries in the state and asked the council chairmen to do same in order to pay their workers.

“Payment of salaries should be given priority, it should be the first-line charge of any serious government that considers the well being of its workers as paramount. Were Governor Dickson to be like any of the council chairmen, by now the economy of the state would have been rendered comatose.

“After all, it is for the same reason former Governor Timpre Sylva is standing trial today for diverting billions of the state funds to a private account said to be money meant to be used to augment the payment of worker’s salaries. It is pertinent that we do not lose sight of this very important lesson in leadership and be guided against pitching our tent with leaders who are only out to serve their own personal interest,” he said.

The statement commended Governor Dickson for his ability to maintain its commitment to Local Government autonomy through the implementation of a policy of zero deduction from Local Government Allocations.

FUBSINU however urged the countryman governor to direct the Local Government Council Chairmen to fulfill their obligations to their workers without any further delay.

•Photo shows Governor Dickson.

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