Soludo orders suspension of civil servants without pay for lateness to work
By John Okezie
Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, has ordered the immediate suspension of civil servants who were absent from duty at past 10 a.m. during his surprise visit to the Jerome Udoji Secretariat in Awka, the state capital.
Soludo gave the order after conducting an on-the-spot assessment of workers’ punctuality, conduct and commitment across ministries and departments on Thursday.
The governor, while addressing newsmen after the on-the-spot assessment, said that any worker not found at their duty post by 10 a.m. should be suspended without pay.
“I walked in, office by office, and there are quite a significant number of workers who are not yet at work as at past 10a.m. This is unacceptable.
“The ‘bad eggs’ will be shipped out because Anambra is an A-state and cannot afford an inefficient civil service. Firm measures will be taken to check these attitudes in the civil service”, he said.
The governor described his overall findings as a mix of “the good, the bad and the ugly,” commending diligent workers while expressing dissatisfaction with absenteeism and poor work ethic among some staff.
He warned that the state government would no longer tolerate indiscipline and lack of commitment in the civil service.
Soludo reiterated his administration’s resolve to build a disciplined, agile, efficient and result-oriented workforce, adding that reforms would be strictly enforced.
He noted that government had invested significantly in improving infrastructure and working conditions at the secretariat.
According to him, workers should reciprocate with dedication and productivity.
