By Okey Maduforo Awka
Scores of civil servants in Anambra are currently facing suspension from work for failing to come to work on time .
Giving this indication was when Governor Charles Soludo at around 10 am stormed the state Secretarate Awka locked the entrance gate and began visitation of offices are in the complex .
Soludo expressed shock that at 10 am Thursday morning most civil servants were yet to report to duty .
Consequent on his observation Soludo ordered compilation of list of civil servants that reported to duty announcing that those absent would be suspended .
“What would a civil servant be doing at this time by 10 am when he is supposed to be in the office ? ” Soludo asked .
According to the Chief Press Secretary to Soludo Mr Christian Aburime;
“The unscheduled visit was conducted to evaluate staff conduct, punctuality, and overall dedication to public service”
“During his inspection of various ministries and departments, the Governor engaged directly with personnel to gauge the prevailing work culture”
“Providing a candid situational report, Governor Soludo described his observations as a composite of “the good, the bad, and the ugly.”
“The Governor however, paid a high tribute to the “good people” within the system—the disciplined civil servants who have consistently maintained professional integrity and strict adherence to official work hours, emphasizing that their dedication remains the bedrock of his administration’s developmental goals”
“In a stern address to the workforce, Governor Soludo issued a final warning to non-performing elements”
“He stated unequivocally that individuals who fail to align with the administration’s vision “will be shipped out.”
“Addressing the issue of chronic absenteeism and late-coming, the Governor noted that those who fail to meet time-keeping standards “will be pinned off,” asserting that the era of lackluster performance and entitlement in the civil service has come to an end”
“Governor Soludo reiterated his commitment to evolving a civil service that is agile, effective, and efficient”
“To achieve this, the administration is prioritizing three key pillars of reform: Deployment of Technology; transitioning toward digital workflows to enhance speed and transparency, Effective Supervision and Evaluation; implementing rigorous performance tracking to ensure accountability at all levels, Physical Infrastructure Improvements; sustaining the modernization of the Secretariat to provide a conducive work environment”
“We have invested quite a bit in this place,” the Governor remarked, referencing the ongoing infrastructural upgrades”
“He maintained that the government’s significant investment in the Secretariat must be reciprocated by a renewed sense of duty and productivity from the staff”
“The Governor’s visit serves as a definitive directive for the total transformation of the state’s bureaucracy”
“By integrating technological innovation with strict disciplinary oversight, the administration aims to ensure that the civil service remains a high-performance vehicle for the delivery of dividends of democracy to Ndi Anambra” he said.
