The Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) has honoured Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State with the award of Best Governor on Local Government Reforms in Nigeria.
NULGE President, Mr. Aliyu Kankara, presented the award to Diri during a conference on Friday in Yenagoa themed “Promoting Local Government Workers’ Welfare: The Bayelsa Model.”
Kankara said Diri transformed Bayelsa’s local government system through fiscal policy reforms that improved service delivery, ensured regular promotions, and enhanced staff welfare across the third tier of government.
He also added that Diri’s implementation of the N80,000 minimum wage for council workers, alongside a 25–30 per cent salary increase and support for primary school teachers, earned him widespread praise.
Kankara further described as unprecedented the governor’s prompt payment of pensions and gratuities, stating Bayelsa was the first state to pay retirement benefits immediately after service without delay.
“The Bayelsa governor has excelled in areas where many others have failed, especially in human capital development and grassroots workers’ welfare,” Kankara said.
He noted that since 2020, Diri’s administration had paid more than 20 billion in gratuity arrears to retirees, which significantly improved the lives of former workers across the state.
Also speaking, Dr Kabir Sani, President of the Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria, hailed the governor for prioritising the welfare of local government workers, including those in his union.
In his response, Diri said prompt salary and gratuity payments were basic responsibilities, not achievements, and part of the promise he made to Bayelsa workers upon assuming office.
He recalled criticisms received when he started paying backlogged gratuities dating back to 2007, as some accused him of playing politics by fulfilling a long-overdue obligation to retirees.
Diri explained that several local councils were financially distressed when he took office, relying on the state for bailouts.
“This challenge prompted urgent reforms to restore their viability.”
He said his broader vision was to improve citizens’ livelihoods, ensure food security, and increase revenue.
He urged council chairmen to leverage agriculture for food production in their localities.
“When you retire at 60 or 65, gratuity should be automatic. In other countries, it’s taken for granted. That’s why I don’t see it as something to celebrate,” he said.
He added, “My father was a teacher and nearly missed his pension. That personal experience drove my commitment to clearing outstanding gratuities once I became governor of Bayelsa State.”
He recounted authorising the payment of N7 billion for gratuities and pensions in a single month after the state received a windfall in federal allocations during his tenure.
Diri also commended his deputy, Sen. Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, for effective oversight of local councils and helping ensure full implementation of the local government reform agenda.
Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Chief Thompson Amule, said only four councils, paid salaries regularly before Diri’s administration, while others struggled with insolvency and salary backlogs.
He noted that staff promotions were stalled for over five years, but the current administration introduced swift fiscal reforms to restore financial stability and dignity to the local government system.
Kolokuma/Opokuma Council Chairman, Mr Lelei Tariye, speaking for his colleagues, said council autonomy was respected under Diri, even before the Supreme Court judgment mandating such across Nigeria.
The highpoint of the event was the symbolic presentation of N12 billion in cheques to more than 1,000 retirees from the eight local government areas in Bayelsa State.
NAN
