The embargo on promotion imposed in the Bayelsa State civil service has been lifted by Governor Seriake Dickson.

An embargo was on promotion in 2014 robbing many civil servants the opportunity to progress in their career as civil servants and with eight months left in his eight years tenure; the governor, sources said, decided to lift the embargo as a gift to the labour unions in the state for their support for his administration.

Dickson, who disclosed this during a meeting with labour leaders at the Government House, said as a demonstration of his commitment to the announcement directed the immediate implementation and payment of promotion benefits to all workers in the state as well as accumulated promotion arrears.

Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Daniel Iworiso-Markson, who disclosed this, said the governor equally informed the leadership of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) of government decision to conduct a special interview for the employment of teachers in the state.

He said as a laudable initiative, local governments will be encouraged to also implement the decisions as regards their staff.

Confirming the development to journalists after the meeting, the labour leaders thanked the governor for lifting the embargo and directing the implementation and payment of promotion arrears before the end of his tenure.

In another development, Dickson said the ongoing reforms in the state public sector was yielding positive results as his administration has recovered about N1.8 billion annually through the exercise.

A statement by his Special Adviser, Media Relations, Fidelis Soriwei, said the amount was saved from the ongoing verification exercise in the mainstream civil service and that of the post-primary schools in the state.

Dickson commended the labour unions for supporting the reforms designed to stop the endemic payroll fraud in the public service and said the money saved from the exercise would be committed to the development of the education sector to enhance service delivery.

“I’ll implement the civil service rules to the letter. All those who are beyond the statutory age of retirement in the service should be identified and retired.

“The labour leaders generally have been supportive in these reforms and we’ve saved this state a lot of money.

“And I know by the time we conclude this exercise we’ll save more than this amount.” (Daily Sun)

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