A new policy, it was learnt, would be introduced into the Imo State Local Government System from this month, as plans have been completed by the Authorities to post the most senior three LGA Civil Servants to their Local Governments of origin.
According to impeccable sources, the policy is to “indigenize” the Local Government Areas in Imo State and for the LGAs to be accountable to the people, since indigenes of the Areas will from hence forth “totally” man the LGAs.
Trumpeta learnt that the top LG Officers to be posted to their areas are Directors of Accounts and General Duties DAGs, Treasurers and Internal Auditors.
Our source maintained that in LGAs where there are no high ranking officers to man such positions, the highest ranking “indigenous” officer would be promoted to the office with immediate effect.
This Newspaper learnt that the postings would begin with the posting of DAGs, whose list it was learnt, is being compiled now by the Local Government Civil Service Commission, and may be released next week.
However, the confusion now is what will happen to an LGA that has many top indigenous LGA Officers like in the case of some LGAs in Owerri Zone.
When Trumpeta contacted the Chairman of Nigeria Labout Congress, Imo State Chapter, Dr Reginald Anyadike, he said his office was not aware of the development.
But a source from Imo State Local Government Civil Commission, who pleaded anonymity, could not confirm nor deny the postings, but only said that whatever is the latest development is for the progress of the LGAs and the state in general.
“Every administration introduces its own policies. So, if the present administration decides to post DAGs to their LGA of origin, it knows why and cannot be faulted”, the source maintained.
When Trumpeta called the New Chairman of Imo LGA Commission, Bar Matthew Nwogu, his phone rang repeatedly without reply. But a source close to the yet-to-be-screened Chairman said he is yet to resume office and therefore has no comment. And there is no Commissioner for LGA or that of Information to speak on behalf of the State Government.
Meanwhile, Teachers in Imo State, and their colleagues in the Ministries have decried the deductions from their September salaries in the name of Identity Card fund.
They lamented that some of them lost up to Seven thousand (N7,000) from their salaries, adding that since the inception of democracy in 1999, this was the first time Civil Servants were paying for their ID Cards from their salaries.
“During Achike Udenwa, there was Staff Audit. In the regime of Ohakim, there was one. But we did not pay a kobo, why should that of Okorocha be different?” an angry Teacher asked Trumpeta.
Meanwhile, a source from Imo Labour Congress said it was an agreement reached with the Civil Servants and the company carrying out the ID production, adding that it was for the good of the workers, as the ID Card is for many purposes, including security and verification.
