The Bayelsa State Government has extended the retirement age for health workers from 60 to 65 years and increased their maximum years of service from 35 to 40, as part of a new welfare package approved by Governor Douye Diri.
The government also approved the 2026 Medical Residency Training Fund, revised earned allowances, and the implementation of the 2025 promotions and promotion arrears for staff of the Niger Delta University Teaching Hospital (NDUTH).
The approvals were announced on Tuesday by the Deputy Governor, Peter Akpe, during an enlarged meeting with labour leaders, union representatives and senior government officials, including the Secretary to the State Government, Nimibofa Ayawei, and the Head of Service, Ebiye Sawyer, at Government House, Yenagoa.
Akpe said the approvals form part of a broader workers’ welfare package that also covers employees in the state’s mainstream civil service, local government and education sectors, with the implementation expected to cost the government billions of naira.
He listed other benefits approved by the governor to include a uniform allowance for primary healthcare workers and nurses, payment of promotion and step increment arrears, specialist allowance for doctors on the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) Grade Level 5, and the implementation of gratuities and pensions for retired workers on the Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS) in the Environmental Sanitation Department.
According to the deputy governor, the administration remains committed to prioritising workers’ welfare and strengthening the state’s bureaucracy to enhance efficiency and improve public service delivery.
He described the government and organised labour as strategic partners in governance, stressing that a motivated and well-supported civil service is critical to sustaining effective administration.
Akpe urged labour unions and their affiliates to continue supporting government policies in order to preserve the cordial relationship between the state government and its workforce.
“Labour and government are one and the same, because whether we like it or not, all of us are put together to deliver governance. Labour is the arm that deals with the welfare of the bureaucracy, and you know that without the bureaucracy, political governance will be in shambles.
“I hope you know the source of bureaucracy. The crafters needed to ensure that there is institutionalisation of the transmission from one political leadership to another. That means politicians come and go, but the civil servants, the bureaucracy, remains.
“You will agree with me that this government under the leadership of His Excellency, Senator Douye Diri, has always recognised and intentionally ensured that the bureaucracy is strengthened,” he said.
Reflecting on the administration’s record on workers’ welfare, Akpe said labour leaders had witnessed significant improvements compared to previous years.
“I believe that all of you who have been in governance, and your leadership of unions, did not just start. You have your evolution over the years, and you should also know how it had been, how it was, and how it is now on issues of welfare,” he said.
He added that the Governor had approved virtually all the items contained in organised labour’s 40-point demand, describing the decision as unprecedented in the state’s history.
“Labour should appreciate what this government is doing for workers in this state. His Excellency, Senator Douye Diri, has given unprecedented approval to virtually all the 40-point demand made by labour on government. It has never been witnessed in the history of this state,” Akpe said.