May 11, (THEWILL) – The Bayelsa State Government has declared a state of emergency in the housing sector and pledged to provide low-cost residential homes for civil servants in a renewed effort to improve workers’ welfare.
Deputy Governor Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo disclosed this while receiving members of the Bayelsa chapter of the National Association of Government General Medical and Dental Practitioners (NAGGMDP) at the Government House, Yenagoa, over the weekend.
In a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Mr Doubara Atasi, the Deputy Governor said the housing initiative would operate on an “owner-occupier” basis and would be implemented directly by the Bayelsa State Housing Authority to eliminate bureaucratic delays.
He explained that the decision to declare a housing emergency was borne out of the need to address the acute shortage of residential and office accommodation faced by civil servants across the state.
Ewhrudjakpo assured that the ongoing construction of a nine-storey state secretariat complex would be completed on schedule to ease office space challenges and boost productivity within the public service.
He said, “The Governor has declared a state of emergency on housing.
“That is why, for the first time, we do not have a Ministry of Housing. We’ve placed full responsibility on the Housing Authority to drive this agenda effectively.”
The Deputy Governor also decried the poor maintenance culture among some civil servants occupying government quarters and urged them to take better care of public property.
“If you visit some government quarters or barracks, you’ll find that they are poorly maintained. Only a few civil servants take the initiative to improve their living spaces. That needs to change,” he added.
He further revealed that the administration was expanding rural housing projects initiated by the previous government to ensure equitable development across all parts of the state.
On the issue of funding residency training for doctors, Senator Ewhrudjakpo noted that Bayelsa remained the only state in Nigeria with an enacted Residency Law.
He assured the NAGGMDP of continued government support for the programme.
He also pledged support for the association’s humanitarian initiative targeted at persons living with disabilities and advised them to extend their outreach to rural communities.
Earlier, NAGGMDP Chairperson, Dr Akpesiri Pearl, commended the government for approving the 25 and 35 percent CONMESS review and appealed for the prompt release of funds for medical residency training.
She also urged the government to address issues of staff accommodation, infrastructure decay, and equipment shortages in the state’s public hospitals.
Amos Okioma is a Correspondent at THEWILL
