Bayelsa State Governor Henry Seriake Dickson has met labour leaders in the state over the introduction of Education Tax Fund, which stipulates payment of levies by civil servants, among others.
Leadership of both the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) in the state attended the meeting, which held Tuesday in Government House, Yenagoa.
Briefing newsmen on the outcome of the meeting, the state commissioner for information and orientation, Jonathan Obuebite, said Governor Dickson stressed that the Education Tax Fund had come to stay as it had been signed into law, and urged labour to comply.
Obuebite said both the governor and labour agreed that the law was to strengthen education in the state and help every child, just as parents would be liable if their children were seen outside while schools were in session.
According to Obuebite, the fund is expected to move Bayelsa from a state that is educationally disadvantaged to a state that is educationally advantaged, as both the governor and House of Assembly consulted with labour before the bill was passed.
Meanwhile, he disclosed that Governor Dickson had approved that promotions of 2015 and 2016 be effected immediately while thanking labour for their support for the civil service reforms his administration introduced.
In his contribution, the chairman of the state chapter of NLC, John Ndiomu, said “it is good that in situations like this government should engage labour,” but pointed out that on the Education Tax Fund, labour would go back, sit and come out with a position.
His TUC counterpart, Tare Dounana, thanked the governor for approving the promotions and reiterated that labour would go back and brief their people before taking a position.
The president of the state chapter of Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Akpos Ebi, said the outcome of the meeting was critical, stressing that the fund would go a long way in helping people in the villages train their children.
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