Political appointees barricade Bayelsa govt house over unpaid salaries

Political appointees from rural development areas (RDAs) in Bayelsa state protested over two months unpaid salaries on Tuesday.

The appointees, compromising representatives from the 24 RDAs in the state, barricaded the government house during the protest.

The protesters, appointed into office by Seriake Dickson, governor of Bayelsa, on October 15 ahead of the gubernatorial election in the state, carried placards with different inscription, such as “Dickson, pay our two months salaries”, “We are workers and not slaves”, “Give us our right,” among others.

Addressing journalists in Yenagoa, the state capital, Wilson Oruwori, the RDA chairman of Kaiko-Ibeawa in Odioma community, Brass local government area, said the appointees were on a peaceful protest to demand their December 2019 and January 2020 salaries.

He said their appointment is expected to end in February but the governor has refused to pay them since December.

“Our appointment was supposed to be from October 15, 2019 to February 2020; but now, the governor is making a pronouncement that he had terminated our appointment since December 16, 2019,” he said.

“Everyone knows that we are entitled to our December and January salary because we are still in service as stated in our appointment letters and our identity card will expire in February.

“So, we are here today on a peaceful demonstration to demand for the immediate payment of our two months salaries, that is, December and January.

“As I am talking to you, the Senior Special Advisers (SSAs), Special Assistants (SAs) and even workers in RDAs have not been paid. We are demanding for our right because this government will be going on February 14.”

Akpos Sunday, the RDA chairman, Bomo central in Southern Ijaw local government area, also lamented the unpaid salaries, alleging that Dickon’s refusal to pay is as a result of the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) loss at the polls.

The PDP, which has ruled the state for 20 years, lost power to David Lyon of the All Progressives Congress (APC) during the November 16 gubernatorial election.