Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has been honoured with the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) Best Governor Award on Local Government Reforms, after his administration cleared a staggering N12 billion pension backlog and introduced sweeping reforms that transformed grassroots governance.
The award was presented in Yenagoa by NULGE President, Comrade Aliyu Kankara, during a national conference themed “Promoting Local Government Workers’ Welfare: The Bayelsa Model.” Kankara hailed Diri’s record, describing him as a governor who has achieved what many of his peers failed to do by prioritising the welfare of workers at the council level.
He cited the implementation of an unprecedented N80,000 minimum wage for local government workers, an additional 25 to 30 per cent salary increase, and consistent financial support to councils for payment of primary school teachers’ salaries as milestones that set Bayelsa apart. He further revealed that since 2020, Diri’s government has disbursed over N20 billion in gratuity arrears to retirees.
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In a symbolic gesture at the event, cheques worth N12 billion were presented to more than 1,000 retirees across Bayelsa’s eight local government areas, a move described as historic in Nigeria’s pension administration.
Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN) President, Dr. Kabir Sani, also applauded the governor for his commitment to human capital development and his policy of paying pensions and gratuities immediately after retirement, which he said was unprecedented in the country.
Speaking at the ceremony, Governor Diri insisted that prompt payment of salaries and entitlements should not be treated as an achievement but as a duty to citizens. He recalled how he was once accused of seeking political glory for clearing gratuity arrears dating back to 2007, but said his decision was inspired by his late father, a teacher who almost lost his pension before death.
“One of the first things I resolved on assumption of office was to clear the backlog of gratuities. At one point, when Bayelsa received a windfall, I directed the immediate release of N7 billion for pensions and gratuities,” Diri explained.
He commended his deputy, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, for overseeing reforms at the council level, which have restored financial discipline and service delivery. Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Chief Thompson Amule, also highlighted that before the current administration, only four councils could regularly pay salaries, while others struggled with insolvency and years of arrears.
Council chairmen, led by Mr. Lelei Tariye of Kolokuma/Opokuma, praised Diri for respecting council autonomy long before the Supreme Court ruling, saying the reforms have revitalised local governance.
With Bayelsa now paying the highest minimum wage in Nigeria and emerging as the first state to settle pension entitlements immediately after retirement, Governor Diri’s recognition by NULGE cements his reputation as one of the country’s most reform-minded leaders at the grassroots level.
