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The Bayelsa State Chairman of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Comrade Julius Laye, has urged Governor Douye Diri’s administration to consolidate on its infrastructure strides by prioritising critical investments in health and education.
Speaking in Yenagoa, Laye commended the government for its achievements across multiple sectors but warned that the gains could erode if the state fails to replace its steadily retiring health workers.
While acknowledging ongoing projects such as road expansion, the acquisition of two new aircraft, the gas turbine initiative, and the construction of the nine-storey state secretariat, the labour leader maintained that social sectors must now receive focused attention.
According to him, the administration deserves credit for ensuring timely salary payments and clearing gratuities owed to local government retirees — a liability he said had been reduced from about ₦27 billion to ₦12 billion at the state level.
“For us in the labour movement, we recognise that the government has done well in several areas,” Laye noted. “Road construction is visible across the state, the secretariat project is ongoing, and workers’ salaries are being paid as at when due. But while these are commendable, more effort should go into health and education, where manpower gaps are beginning to emerge.”
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He explained that despite recent recruitment by the Civil Service Commission and the Post Primary Schools Board, the Hospitals Management Board had not employed new staff in years — a development that could soon undermine service delivery.
“I told the commissioner that people retire every month and every year,” Laye said. “If replacements are not made, we may end up with modern facilities but no personnel to run them.”
The TUC chairman added that the Diri government’s visible infrastructure drive should now be matched with human capital renewal, particularly in sectors that directly affect the well-being of Bayelsans.
When contacted, the Assistant Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, Mr. Zuokumor, declined to comment, saying he “would not want to delve into that right now.”
Efforts to reach the State Chairman of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Barnabas Simon, were unsuccessful as calls to his phone went unanswered.
As the Diri administration continues to position Bayelsa for post-oil economic sustainability, stakeholders say the challenge will be ensuring that infrastructure growth translates into accessible health care, improved education, and a more resilient workforce.
