Workers in 19 parastatal agencies and departments in Imo reported for duties, defying the directive by the state government that they should to handover and stop work.
Workers defy Government directive
Workers in 19 parastatal agencies and departments in Imo reported for duties, defying the directive by the state government that they should to handover and stop work
Recommended articles
![Ondo Assembly [TheCable]](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf8,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D'http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg'%20width%3D'100'%20height%3D'100'%20data-ring-placeholder%3D'1'%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E "Ondo Assembly [TheCable]")
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that Governor Rochas Okorocha had, in a statement on Sunday, announced the sack of staffers of the organisations.
When NAN correspondent visited offices of some of the organisations in Owerri on Tuesday, some of the workers were seen at their duty posts attending to visitors, while some were discussing the development in groups.
The offices visited were Imo Water Corporation near Standard, Sports Council, Owerri, and Imo State Environmental Transformation Commission.
ADVERTISEMENT
Others were Imo Marketing Company located at Old Secretariat, Orlu Road Owerri, and Agricultural Development Programme (ADP), near NOA Office on Okigwe Road.
Some of the workers told NAN that they had yet to be served with any disengagement letters.
"I was issued employment letter by the state government when I was engaged by the state as a staff of ADP and it will be administratively wrong for me to stop work because of what somebody said he heard on radio.
"If the person who made the announcement is informed of the workings of the civil service, he should issue a sack letter to me and until that is done I will continue to report for duties,’’Mr Uzochukwu Chukwuka, said.
Mrs Amaka Adigwe, a staff of Imo marketing company, described the action was fraudulent.
ADVERTISEMENT
"When I heard the radio announcement that we have been sacked, I knew that some people were hatching fraud because you cannot sack a worker mid-month without paying his or her salary.
"So, for the state government to claim that our salaries have been stopped since Jan. 4 when we have worked from the beginning of the month till Jan.17 without committing any punishable offence shows those behind the plot had failed," Adigwe said.
Meanwhile, Mr Austin Chilakpu, the state Chairman of Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), in a reaction, told NAN that the leadership of the union was shocked to hear the radio announcement.
"Thank God all of you were around last Wednesday when Gov. Okorocha told the NLC president that it was falsehood that the government was planning to sack Imo workers.
"We have looked at the way and manner the announcement was made and have directed workers not to obey such a directive because you cannot sack government workers without observing the rules.’’
ADVERTISEMENT
He said that all the listed organisations were government establishments founded by law.
JOIN OUR PULSE COMMUNITY!
ADVERTISEMENT
Eyewitness? Submit your stories now via social or:
Email: eyewitness@pulse.ng
Recommended articles
Ondo assembly warns petroleum marketers against fuel hoarding, price hikes
Rivers crisis: Fresh twist as APC group disagrees with Gov Fubara's impeachment call
Reps urge Tinubu to pay withheld salaries of ASUU, NASU, ensure full payment
Lagos Govt retrieves ₦478.13m, 18 properties from fraudulent agents in 4 years
KADIRS shuts 2 hotels, event centre, others for ₦422.6m unpaid taxes
House of Reps to investigate Ministry of Foreign Affairs activities, missions
Radda orders security outfits to arrest Custom Officer's killers for justice
Badagry residents decry EKEDC's failure to restore power despite payment
Senate advances judicial salaries bill for Federal and State levels
Pulse Sports
DAVID AND VICTORIA BECKHAM: How the global soccer superstar and the Spice Girl-turned-fashion designer make and spend their millions
Chelsea set to offer Romelu Lukaku and cash for Super Eagles star Victor Osimhen
Mikel Obi: Super Eagles legend goes viral speaking Hausa
Anthony Joshua: Nigerian-born boxer teams up with Mariah Carey, Naomi Campbell and Cuppy in France
ADVERTISEMENT
![Akwa-Ibom Governor Umo Eno [The Guardian Nigeria]](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf8,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D'http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg'%20width%3D'300'%20height%3D'172'%20data-ring-placeholder%3D'1'%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E "Akwa-Ibom Governor Umo Eno [The Guardian Nigeria]")