Dickson’s men bickering snowballs into labour crisis at Radio Bayelsa

A lingering face-off between two loyalists of Bayelsa Governor, Seriake Dickson has snow balled into a labour crisies between the newly appointed General Manager of Radio Bayelsa christened Glory FM.

Mr Hayford Lawson, a former Speechwriter to the Governor appointed General Manager of Radio Bayelsa was relieved of his appointment and recalled to the Government House while Dr John Idumange, a Special Assistant on Social Media to Dickson was appointed to take over.

Idumange who assumed duties on December 6, raised alarm of monumental fraud in the radio station including leaving a debt of N40 million and sale of assests of the station arrested 3 staff of the station over the sale of a 350 KVA electricity generating set.

The arrest of three staff provoked the wrought of the workforce who advised the new General Manager to direct his grieviances to his predecessor who is still in the services of Dickson.

The workers frowned at the victimisation of helpless civil servants who had no control nor were consulted by the former General Manager before taking the decision to sell the said Generator.

Idumange who boasted that he was specially sent by Dickson due to his track records as an activist and a University Lecturer said that his predecessor ran to their Principal, Gov Dickson to evade impending arrest by Police as Lawson declined to honour invitations by the Ekeki Police Division.

It was gathered that Lawson defended the sale of the 350 KVA generator by saying that he sold the plant to offset debts owed by the broadcast house.

 The Bayelsa government has however waded into the industrial crisis at Radio Bayelsa following the appointment of a new General Manager for the station.

The workers of Radio Bayelsa on Monday shunned the certificate verification exercise ordered by a newly appointed General Manager of the station, Dr John Idumange.

 Mr John Angese, Chairman, Bayelsa Council of Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) said on Wednesday that Chief of Staff to Governor Dickson Mr Talford Ongolo convened a meeting to resolve the conflict.

The workers had issued a seven-day ultimatum which will lapse on January 10, 2017 to the stations General Manager, to suspend a certificate verification exercise and restore industrial harmony.

The workers, under the aegis of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) and the Radio and Television, Theatre and Arts Workers Union (RATTAWU) resolved to shun the certificate verification after a joint congress of RATTAWU and NUJ.

 Angese, said that the meeting held at Bayelsa government house on Tuesday was attended by the General Manager of the station, representatives of NUJ and RATTAWU, Information Commissioner Mr Jonathan Obuebite amongst others.

According to the NUJ Chairman, the meeting resolved to suspend the verification exercise while the new General Manager was urged to convene a meeting to resolve contentious issues with staff.. .

  We had a tense meeting at the Government House presided over by the Chief of Saff, they asked us to go back and work together with a six point resolution which includes that the GM should hold meetings with staff.

That the verification should be suspended till the meeting with staff be held while NUJ and RATTAWU should each have a nominee to conduct the certificate verification.

The GM was also asked to review appointments of junior officers above their superiors in breach of Public Service Rules, Angese said.

Meanwhile Mr Tonye Yemoleigha and Pius Otiti, Radio Bayelsa Chapel Chairmen of NUJ and RATTAWU respectively in a joint statement urged the workforce to accept the outcome of the peace talks.

The unions urged the workers to remain dedicated to duty assured them that their collective interest and welfare would be protected.