By Joshua Chibuzo Andrew, Owerri
The Imo state government is said to have concluded plans to demote the current Head of Service, Raymond Ucheoma and a few other Permanent Secretaries for their inability to ensure Imo workers report to work during several sit-at-home orders issued by the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) in recent times.
A Government House source who spoke to our reporter said that the Uzodinma-led government has lost billions of naira from the uncountable sit-at-home where workers of Imo state, including the Head of Service duly observe in disobedience to the government’s several warnings not to boycott work on Mondays.
He said he overheard some top Imo government officials discuss the issue in private, laying serious blames on the Head of Service.
Our reporter who had visited the state secretariat on four consecutive times on Monday said that the premises had remained a ghost of itself and the offices including that of the Head of Service had been under lock and keys.
It would be recalled that the Governor of Imo state, Senator Hope Uzodinma, at the inception of his government, warned against the adherence of the Monday sit-at-home orders by the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB).
The Governor also warned that any worker in the state who fails to adhere to the directive of the government by boycotting the Monday work to observe sit-at-home order was as good as losing their jobs.
A worker who spoke to our reporter on the condition of anonymity said that she was managing to report to work at the early stage of the sit-at-home but when insecurity increased in the state, her husband warned her not to be going to work on Mondays.
She said, “my brother, nobody will see what is happening in Imo state and choose to risk his or her life. At the early stage of the sit-at-home, when the heat was not that much, we were managing to report, but i am really scared now.”
Another worker in the Ministry of Transport disclosed that even the Commissioner, Rex Anunobi, and all other Commissioners, Permanent Secretaries and other top government officials do not come to work on Monday because of the sit-at-home.
The worker who pleaded anonymity further intimated that the mass sack should begin with the Head of Service whom, according to him, has failed to address the situation.
“The number one worker of the state civil service is the Head of Service. The unfortunate thing is that the man is unknown to the workers because he rarely interfaces with us. Many of us do not know him. He is always at the Government House meeting either with the Governor, or other government officials. He could be a good man as a person but i don’t think he is up and doing.”
Efforts to reach the Head of Service, Raymond Ucheoma proved abortive as at the time of filing this report.
