The Bayelsa State Government has approved a 25% and 35% upward review of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) for medical professionals employed in the state’s public service.
Deputy Governor, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, disclosed this while receiving a delegation of the Bayelsa State chapter of the National Association of Government General Medical and Dental Practitioners (NAGGMDP) at Government House, Yenagoa, over the weekend.
In a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Mr. Doubara Atasi, Senator Ewhrudjakpo also reaffirmed the government’s commitment to addressing the housing needs of civil servants through the provision of low-cost residential homes.
He explained that the housing scheme, which will operate on an “owner-occupier basis,” is aimed at enhancing the welfare of government workers. He further revealed that the Douye Diri-led administration has silently declared a state of emergency in the housing sector to tackle the shortage of both residential and office accommodation for civil servants.
The Deputy Governor assured that the ongoing construction of the 9-storey new secretariat complex would be completed on schedule, not only to solve office space challenges but also to boost the productivity of the state workforce.
Speaking on the implementation of the housing scheme, Senator Ewhrudjakpo said the state Housing Authority has been mandated to handle the project directly to eliminate delays and bureaucratic bottlenecks.
He, however, expressed concern over the poor maintenance culture among civil servants occupying government quarters and urged them to take better care of their living spaces.
On the issue of residency training for medical doctors, the Deputy Governor noted that Bayelsa remains the only state in Nigeria with an enacted Residency Law. He assured the NAGGMDP delegation of government’s continued commitment to the training programme.
He also encouraged the association to extend its support for persons living with disabilities to rural communities, where the impact would be more profound.
His words: “This administration is making housing a major priority. The Governor has declared a state of emergency on housing. That’s why, for the first time, we don’t have a Ministry of Housing. All our energy is being channeled into the Housing Authority to push that agenda far.”
“We’re also addressing rural housing. The immediate past administration started it, and we plan to expand it.”
“But civil servants must maintain government quarters. Some staff quarters are in terrible condition due to negligence. Only a few civil servants with a sense of pride renovate and maintain their homes.”
Earlier, the leader of the NAGGMDP delegation, Dr. Akpesiri Pearl, said their visit was to seek government’s support for the association’s programme to assist persons living with disabilities.
She also appealed for the prompt payment of medical residency training allowances, and called for urgent intervention in addressing the challenges of accommodation, infrastructure decay, and inadequate facilities in the state’s public hospitals.
Discussion about this post