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The Imo Government on Tuesday said its decision not to pay the salary of some hundreds of workers was to instill discipline, responsibility and sanity into the state civil service.
The Head of Service (HOS), Raymond Ucheoma, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in an interview in Owerri that the affected workers breached various civil service rules.
“The government believes that the productivity of workers will enhance the development and prosperity of the state.
“The intention for recruiting workers is to provide high-quality services, it is not forced labour, which is why we have retirement, resignation or withdrawal of service.
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“If at any time, a worker can no longer put in the eight hours of service in a day, the worker should write to get disengaged.
”The state government cannot become poorer because a worker wants to earn eight hours pay for three hours work, it is wrong to tolerate that type of mentality,” Ucheoma said.
The head of the service added that some of the workers had cultivated the habit of not coming to work, running personal businesses or sleeping while on duty.
"It is our duty to stop their salaries and we see it as a just action,” he added.
According to him, the government is providing free transportation, paying salaries and benefits promptly, and providing palliatives, among others, to motivate the workers.
“So, whether the government just woke up to take actions or not, we have been just, because it is the state’s resources that are used to pay the workers,” the head of the service emphasised.
A civil servant, who pleaded anonymity, confided in NAN that over 300 workers were removed from the state government payroll.
“I was removed from the payroll because I did not come to work on a certain day; we spend a lot coming to work every day despite the high cost of transportation and cost of living compared to what we earn for a living.
“We appeal to Gov. Hope Uzodimma to please demonstrate the milk of human kindness and reinstate us on the payroll,” the source, who is also a victim of the government’s disciplinary measure,” stated.