Radio Bayelsa staff flogged by GM heads to court to seek redress

Radio Bayelsa staff flogged by GM heads to court to seek redress

Mr. Tonye Yemoleigha  one of the four  flogged by the General Manager of Glory FM in Bayelsa Mr John Idumange says he is heading for the court to seek redress.

The lingering labour dispute at the FM station operated by Bayelsa government  had reached a climax on February 22 when the General Manager reportedly flogged four union leaders on their duty posts.

The union leaders were flogged for organizing workers for a strike action.

APC group commends Buhari's intervention to resolve Niger Delta crisis

 A political support group, the Coalition of All Progressives Congress Support Groups, has commended President Muhammadu Buhari for  intervention to end the lingering crisis in the Niger Delta.

The group gave the commendation in a statement issued on Monday by its National Publicity Secretary, Ambassador Sokari Afiesimama.

Edo Govt. to reintroduce teaching of History in public schools

The Edo Government says it will reintroduce the teaching of History as a subject in public schools to allow the young generation learn about the labours of past heroes.

Gov. Godwin Obaseki announced this while inaugurating the Castle of Legends Initiative (COLI), a Non-Governmental Organisation, in honour of late Chief Anthony Enahoro, a foremost nationalist, in Benin on Saturday.

CLO concludes fact-finding into flogging of 4 staff by Radio Bayelsa GM

The Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO) has concluded investigations into the industrial dispute at Radio Bayelsa which resulted to the flogging of four inion leaders by General Manager of the station.

The labour dispute had reached a climax on February 22 when the General Manager reportedly flogged four union leaders on their duty posts.

The union leaders were reportedly flogged for organizing workers for a strike action., while the General Manager said he flogged in self defense.

PDP leadership crisis: PDP will bounce back ahead 2019 –Jonathan

Former President, Dr Goodlouck Jonathan on Saturday expressed optimism that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will resolve the crisis in the party and come out stronger.

Jonathan who spoke at his country home in Otuoke, Bayelsa while receiving the peace plan by the Governor Seriake Dickson led PDP reconciliation Committee noted that resorting to courts for political disagreements was abnormal.

He applauded the Dickson led committee for getting the two factions of the party to the negotiating table adding that a truce was in sight given the commitments so far given by the stakeholders of the PDP.

NGO urges Bayelsa Govt to deploy secondtranche of Paris Club refunds to defray salary arrears

A Non-Governmental Organisation, (NGO),the Patriotic Citizens of Nigeria (PACON), on Thursday urged the Bayelsa Government to use its share of  the  expected second tranche of the Paris Club refunds to settle backlogs of salaries of civil servants.

PACON also called on the government in the same to promptly release the local government share of the fund  to enable them pay backlogs of salaries which ranged from six months to 12 months.

The NGO offered the advice in a statement released to newsmen in Yenagoa and signed by Mr Aluzu Augustine and Mr Powedei, Arch-Convener and Co.Convener of the NGO.

It noted that the government had been constantly hiding under economic recession to deny workers their wages and pay them half salaries.

“It is worrisome that only Bayelsa State government is backward in terms of salary payment compared to her counterparts in the south-south region, despite her huge resources and allocations.

“It is on record that the N14.5 billion that came into the state some months ago as a result of the first disbursement of the Paris Club refunds could not be effectively and convincingly accounted for by the Bayelsa State government.

“We urge the government to put on a human face and pay all salary arrears in other to alleviate the untold hardship presently militating against workers and indeed inhabitants of the state”, the group stated.

The Bayelsa government and its workforce held divergent views on the current salary arrears, Mr Daniel Iworiso-Markson, Chief Press Secretary to Gov Dickson had put the arrears at three months.

But Mr Tari, Dounana, Chairman of Bayelsa chapter of Trade Union Congress (TUC) and his Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) counterpart Mr John Ndiomu unanimously told NAN that workers were owed six months salary.

The facts are there and we cannot be lying on issues like this, I can be quoted on this, workers are having salary arrears of six months and we met with government on this issue only last week.

It is likely that those claiming that we are not being owed do not have the details, we met with the government finance team and they set up a committee to work out the payment plan, Dounana said. 

Corruption cases against judges: Bayelsa Govt, NBA decry continues closure of Federal High Court and Industrial Court

The Bayelsa Government and Lawyers in the state have decried the continued closure of Federal High Court and National Industrial Courts in Yenagoa, Bayelsa capital for six months.

Two judges presiding over the courts are currently answering to allegations of corruption involving some judges.

The judges are Justice Terse Agbadu-Fishin of the National Industrial Court.Yenagoa Division, and Justice Aliya Nganjiwa of the Federal High Court Yenagoa Division.