Fresh industrial crisis looms in Bayelsa State following Wednesday night seven-day ultimatum issued by the leadership of the state chapter of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) to Governor Timipre Sylva to immediately drop the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Dr. Bolere Ketebu Nwokeafor over alleged incompetence and inconsistencies in the conduct of the on-going workers� verification exercise in the state.
In a seven-point communiqu� issued at the end of an emergency meeting of the state executive council held in Yenagoa, the state chairman of NLC, Comrade Bio Ben Basuo, declared, �The SEC in session observed with utmost dismay the leadership style of the Secretary to the Bayelsa state Government, Dr. (Mrs.) Bolere Ketebu Nwokafor, characterized by incompetence and inconsistencies which are hallmarks that are tilting the state towards industrial unrest.�
The NLC frowned at what it described as the dismal performance of the Ketson�s (Ketebu & Sons) in the past in handling payment of workers salary in the state and therefore rejects the firm as the consultants handling the pay roll of Bayelsa civil servants alleging that the firm is owned by younger brother of the Secretary to the State Government.
Labour in the communiqu� said though it was in support of the staff verification exercise but lamented the incalculable hardship faced by workers as a result of the inefficiency of Kentson�s (Ketebu and Co) and called on the state government not to tie the payment of salaries to the on-going exercise.
�Labour strongly condemns the unprecedented delay in payment of workers salary in the state and called on the government of Chief Timipre Sylva to reverse the trend immediately as workers will no longer tolerate government�s unfulfilled promises.
The leadership of the state NLC also decried the use of staff verification exercise to deny the said workers their legitimate entitlement which has unavoidably exposed them to a lot of hardship.
The congress also called for the immediate and unconditional implementation of the federal government 15 per cent consolidated salary structure approved by the Chief Timipre Sylva-led government precisely on July 6 this year for workers in the state.