Bayelsa worker commits suicide over unpaid salaries

Seemingly overwhelmed by frustration over his predicament brought about by the inability of the state government to pay workers for the last 13 months, a 43-year-old engineer with the Bayelsa State Water Board, Peter Ogiero allegedly took his own life.

Ogiero reportedly drank an insecticide known as ‘Sniper’ in the early hours of Friday.

Reports say he allegedly decided to end it all when the promise of the Governor Seriake Dickson-led administration to put a smile on the faces of workers in the state did not cone through.

Sources said that the deceased, who is a father of four, and whose only means of livelihood was his monthly take home pay, was allegedly overwhelmed by the unfortunate development.

Ogiero was said to have first developed hypertension and later stroke about one year ago when he found it extremely difficult to care for himself, let alone his wife and four children.

In the midst of his sorry state, his second wife, it was learnt, had to abandon him in their Okaka area in Yenagoa metropolis for their village alongside three of their children.

The only child, a teenager, that stayed with him in his state of impoverishment and anguish, was his first son, Wilson, who barely depended on charity for survival. Wilson’s mother was said to have died before Ogiero married his second wife.

It was further learnt that Ogiero, who felt life and the government were unkind to him, decided to end his life of penury, and did so by taking the insecticide.

Ogiero’s colleague at the water board, who identified himself simply as Raymond, said, “My friend was strong and healthy before the state government stopped paying us salaries.

“The situation led to his frustration and this in turn led to an increase in his blood pressure which later resulted in stroke that worsened his frustration.

“As of now, we are being owed 13-months salaries. The head of our agency has made several efforts in writing and appeals to the state government to pay our salaries and allowances but to no avail”, he said.

According to him, over 150 workers in the corporation, some of whom had worked there for more than 15 years, were affected.

He said worse still, many of the workers at the board had worked for close to 15 years as casual workers, without the regularisation of their designations.

Read also: Dickson’s political adviser kidnapped

He lamented that the government had been treating workers of the board with disdain and scorn, wondering what they had done to deserve being treated as sub-humans.

“This is supposed to be a restoration government but we are treated with disdain and scorn. Our salaries are not paid as and when due. As I speak with you, the government is owing us 13 months salaries. Another month has ended, making it 14.

“At our various homes, we are no more worthy to be called fathers because we cannot meet up with our obligations as fathers. We have been turned into vegetables.

“This is not what we bargained for when we took up appointments with the corporation. We are no more able to provide food for our families let alone pay our children’s school fees.

“We are appealing to the government to come to our rescue before more of our colleagues go the way of Ogiero. We are also calling on thegovernment to rally round the family of our deceased colleague so that the children can have some respite”, he said.

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