Civil Service: Bayelsans Commend Dickson For Public Service Reforms

The Former Governor, His Excellency, Senator Henry Seriake Dickson became the Governor of Bayelsa State at a time when corruption in the State Civil Service was so alarming and worrisome, where few individuals were milking the state’s treasury to enrich themselves and families.

The level of corruption in the state civil service was too worrisome that it was a cocoa farm of some commissioners, permanent secretaries, accountants in the state treasury, accountants and heads in government ministries acquiring so much wealth for themselves.

It was reliably gathered that previous administrations made attempts to correct the abnormalities in the state civil service system, but couldn’t push through to a logical conclusion, due to some obvious reasons until the restoration government despite the adverse effects to the state.

The corrupt practices of some opportune and privileged individuals through the state civil service for wealth creation, affected the state government’s readiness to embark on various big ticket projects at a time, as a result of the corrupt practices of the civil service system.

It was a situation of few corrupt individuals creating an illegal wealth to live large with their families at the expense of the populace, which became imperative for the public service reforms in the state civil service commission to instill sanity.

The Senator Dickson led restoration government took the bull by the horns, by setting up an experienced and competent state verification committee to carry out verification exercise of the state civil service commission in the eight local government areas across the state.

Dickson’s administration public service reforms created the vacuum for the employment of two thousand first class graduate Bayelsans, including thousands of employable qualified graduates in different professions, which drastically reduced the rate of unemployment.

The public service reforms reduced the overblown wage bill of the state civil service commission, and paved the way for the automatic employment of first class graduate Bayelsans, and other academically qualified graduates to be self-reliant and improved welfare basically.

The service reforms commendably restructured and transformed the state civil service commission, by addressing the issues of age falsification (overage and underage employment), fake certificates, manipulation of grade levels, ghost workers and multiple employment in different government ministries.

The state civil service was badly corrupt that people from other states outside Bayelsa, were employed as civil servants, and were collecting salaries on monthly basis without going to work, which amounted to millions and billions of naira for the years, enriching few individuals.

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Dickson’s administration public service reforms of the state civil service commission, enhanced effectiveness and productivity in the civil service with proper supervision and daily report register of none tolerance of absenteeism and late coming to work respectively.

Regrettably, there were unexpected circumstances during the various processes of the public service reforms in the state civil service commission, with the primary objective to instill sanity in the state civil service for improved workers welfare and productivity basically.

The government further reinstated all genuine workers that were affected by the public service reforms, as a government that understood and perceived the welfare of the people with utmost priority, importance and consideration despite the fact that the government was faced with economic recessions basically.

Due to lack of proper clarification of the verification processes through the media in educating the general public, the same individuals who were collecting fraudulent salaries to impoverish the state, started sponsoring and spreading propaganda against Dickson.

Dickson was tagged with different names (wicked man) by those who were milking the state’s treasury, for correcting the abnormalities and corruption in the state civil service to instill sanity for improved welfare and service delivery as expected.

It is unfair with all form of sincerity to tag a leader who took the bold step to restructure and transform the state civil service as a wicked man. Dickson carried out an exercise previous administrations couldn’t do, which created employment for over two thousand Bayelsa graduates.

Dickson administration placing the welfare of civil servants with utmost importance, created the Bayelsa Health Insurance Scheme (BHIS) to enable civil servants and their families have access to medical treatment in registered public and private hospitals, health centres and clinics operating in the state.

The state health insurance scheme was designed in a way that little amounts will be directly deducted from registered civil servants’ salaries on monthly basis, which gives civil servants access to free medical treatment and drugs without payment as a registered member.

The restoration government ensured that workers are paid in the state, even during economic recessions where most state governors couldn’t pay workers in their respective states due to lack of funds basically.

The Dickson administration first in the history of the state, declared the state of emergency on education, by making primary and secondary education free with the provision of educational materials, in order to support civil servants and parents who can’t afford basic education.

The restoration government led by Dickson built modern apartments for teachers, headmasters and principals in public schools across the state, with the sole purpose of improving the welfare of civil servants in the state, which was first in the history of the state factually.

The restoration government was faced with several economic recessions that the government was paying workers half salary for almost three years. The economic recession affected so many states that some states couldn’t even pay workers half salaries in their respective states.

As a government of transparency and accountability despite the economic recessions that crippled the economy of so many states, the restoration government was still carrying out various projects across the state, primarily towards the growth and development of the state.

It’s an unarguable fact that Dickson’s administration made remarkable policies and programs to improve the welfare of civil servants in the state, including the civil service reforms, which restructured and transformed the state civil service for improved welfare and effective productivity.

It is on record that the restoration government led by Dickson cleared all workers salaries, pensions, including the payment of severance to all political appointees in the first and second term before leaving office in February, 14th 2020.