By Okey Alozie
Civil servants in Imo State have cried out louder over the ill-treatments usually meted on them by those in Authority and this time, the more aggrieved workers have decided to take the bull by its horn.
An eye witness account revealed that the unpaid workers of Imo State have swung into action to revolt against those suspected to be making things hard for them.
Those whose salaries were withheld for no justified reasons stormed room 25 (open registry) at Local Government Service Commission to attack some of the officers who were alleged to be behind the alleged salary with held.
An eye witness account revealed that the aggrieved workers tongue lashed the management officers who according to them did not send their files and record to the office of Head of Service as requested.
The workers of the Local Government Service Commission who spoke to our roving reporter under strict annonimity on Monday at the State Secretariat disclosed that a good number of their staff have not received salary since 3 months now for no tangible reason and for that the crisis came up at the commission. The crisis as we gathered almost escalated into a serious war, thereafter, it spread to other establishments at the state secretariat.
At the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, the Acting Perm Sec Mrs Amafele was able calm the workers down and they listened to her. Only 11 workers at the Local Government and Chieftaincy Affair did not get their salary for more than 2 months now.
Investigative report revealed that workers from Head of Service office came on the 19th of March and took the attendance register for analysis after which it was discovered that the attendance at Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs was very poor and as a result of that those who were not regular in the attendance missed their salaries as their names were removed from the pay roll.
Our source revealed that out of the 11 workers who have not received payment is now being given to 8 staff because they have improved in their attendance but the remaining 3 workers are yet to improve, meaning that they have not been punctual to work in the new system. As we gathered, workers who do not come to work regularly will not receive salary.
So the new policy of “clock on clock out” should be taken serious by Civil Servants to avoid trouble.
At the State Civil Service Commission office, the attendance register is seriously monitored by the Director of Administration. The workers come to work on daily bases.
There are allegation in some Ministries that the Director of Administration and Finance (DAF) victimizes workers with the attendance register and our roving reporter is investigating this complain.
