The Bayelsa State Governor, Mr. Seriake Dickson, on Friday ordered the release of N5.6billion out of N14.8billion Paris Club Refund he received in December last year for the payment of one- and- half month salary arrears owed workers during the economic recession of 2016.
It was gathered that the governor called a meeting of top government officials, labour leaders and their representatives in Yenagoa where a decision was taken to pay one- and -half month workers’ salaries.
A statement signed by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media Relations, Mr. Fidelis Soriwei, said the state government received N14.8billion from the Federal Government.
The breakdown showed the state received N13.5billion while the local government councils received N1.37billion.
Dickson said the outstanding arrears were a balance of half salaries he paid for seven months during the recession in 2016.
The governor thanked the workers for displaying understanding during the period of the recession.
He lamented that while most of the older states in the country had lower wage bills, Bayelsa wage bill was over N6billion because of the “criminal activities of some fraudulent characters.”
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