Bayelsa State Governor, Mr. Henry Seriake Dickson, on Monday in Yenagoa assured civil servants that the government would commence the payment of salaries to workers who have completed the process of verification, through their Bank Verification Numbers (BVN) at the end of this month.

He however warned perpetrators of payroll fraud and other sharp practices to stop forthwith or face the full weight of the law.

A statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Daniel Iworiso-Mrkson, said the Governor, who gave the assurance, while speaking on live radio interview programme insisted that the government would drive the process to a logical conclusion.

He explained that his administration has good intentions for the state, adding that the situation has informed the government’s decision to embark on the verification process.

While urging genuine workers not to entertain any fear of sack, he expressed confidence that the technology and method being used in the ongoing exercise would further reduce the wage bill of the state from its current N4 billion to a more realistic figure.

Dickson said: “Those people in the civil service who are used to adding names on the payroll at the LG level, teaching service, parastatals and in the main civil service must stop because there is simply no money to service their criminality and greed. They have done it for all these years and now we are saying, enough is enough.

“We want a situation where after this verification process, the genuine civil servants will all be paid even if it is N2 billion that we get in a month. I really feel bad that for about three months now, workers have not been paid. But we are making efforts to get the funds to pay them at the end of this month by the grace of God. Those of them that have done their verification and produced their BVNs will have their salaries.”

•Photo shows Governor Dickson.