The aggregate monthly wage bill of the eight local government council areas of Bayelsa state have risen to about N1.2billion.
This is based on the implementation of the new minimum wage by the state government.
The Technical Adviser on Treasury, Accounts and Revenue to the Governor, Mr Timipre Seipulou, stated this while presenting the report of the Committee on Local Governments Implementation of Minimum Wage Projection at an enlarged stakeholders’ meeting .
The meeting was presided over by the state Deputy Governor, Mr Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, at the Government House, Yenagoa.
This was contained in a statement issued by the deputy governor’s Senior Special Assistant on Media, Mr Doubara Atasi, in Yenagoa on Monday.
Seipulou said, “The figure represents more than 76 per cent of the average federal allocations that accrued to the coffers of the eight local government councils in the first three months (January-March) of this year.”
The meeting, according to the statement, however, resolved that the councils would soon begin modalities to pay the new minimum wage and salary arrears owed council workers.
The workers, including primary school teachers, non-academic staff and health personnel would also be paid their salary arrears from 2016 on monthly instalments with effect from this month.
