Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State has proclaimed Friday, April 5th, 2024, a work-free day for civil servants across the state.
This decision is aimed at facilitating their participation in the local government elections scheduled for Saturday.
News360 Info reports that the announcement was made in a memo issued by the Head of the Bayelsa State Civil Service, Biobelemoye Charles-Onyema, highlighting the state’s commitment to ensuring a high level of participation in the democratic process.
However, the memo also specifies that civil servants engaged in essential duties will not be covered by this work-free day directive.
This exemption ensures that critical state functions remain uninterrupted while still allowing a broad section of the workforce to exercise their voting rights in local government elections.
In the lead-up to these elections, political activity within the state has been notably subdued among opposition parties.
To date, parties other than the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have not announced their candidates for the local government polls in Bayelsa, an oil-rich state known for its strategic importance to the nation’s economy.
This lack of visible opposition activity raises questions about the competitive nature of the upcoming elections and underscores the PDP’s dominant position within the state’s political landscape.
