Abuja: The Bayelsa Government has approved a fresh welfare package for its workers, encompassing new allowances, promotion arrears, pension benefits, and an extension of the retirement age for health workers. The Deputy Governor, Mr. Peter Akpe, announced these approvals during a meeting with labor leaders, government officials, and union representatives at his office in Yenagoa.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the meeting was attended by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Nimibofa Ayawei, the Head of Service, Dr. Ebiye Sawyer, and other senior government functionaries. Akpe revealed that Governor Douye Diri had sanctioned the extension of service years and retirement age for health workers from 35 to 40 years of service and from 60 to 65 years of age.
He also announced the approval of the 2026 medical residency training fund, revised earned allowances, and the implementation of the 2025 promotion exercise and arrears for staff of the Niger Delta University Teaching Hospital (NDUTH). The stat
e also approved the payment of uniform allowances for primary healthcare workers and nurses, along with promotion and step increment arrears.
The approvals further include specialist allowances for doctors on CONMESS 5 and the implementation of gratuities and pensions for retired workers under the CONHESS salary structure at the Environmental Sanitation Department. Akpe emphasized the strategic partnership between the government and organized labor in strengthening the state’s bureaucracy to ensure effective service delivery.
He highlighted the Diri administration’s commitment to workers’ welfare through labor-friendly policies and programs, urging labor unions and their affiliates to continue supporting government policies to sustain the cordial relationship between the administration and the workforce. Akpe noted the significance of strengthening the civil service, as it provides continuity in governance.
The Deputy Governor remarked that the present administration had intentionally prioritized the welfa
re of workers and the strengthening of the state’s public service. He stated that the governor had approved virtually all the items contained in labor’s 40-point demand, describing the decision as unprecedented in the state’s history.
In separate remarks, the Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Bayelsa, Mr. Simon Barnabas, represented by the union’s Secretary, Mr. John Angese, and Chairman of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Edwin Fefegha, commended the governor for approving most of their demands. The labor leaders acknowledged the financial implications of the approvals but noted that no previous administration in the state had implemented such an extensive package for workers. They assured the government of the continued support and cooperation of workers in the state.