•Francis Nwifuru
Governor Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi State has issued a 72-hour ultimatum to civil servants, warning that any worker who fails to report to their duty post will be dismissed.
Speaking at a media parley in Abakaliki, the state capital, Nwifuru disclosed plans to pay workers based on the number of days they report to work, reports The Nation.
He directed heads of Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to maintain attendance registers to track staff compliance.
The governor’s directive came in response to a one-week strike initiated by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in the state, which disrupted operations in government offices.
The NLC had earlier informed the governor through a letter that the strike was in protest of his unilateral decision to implement a wage award for workers instead of adhering to the agreed minimum wage.
The union criticised the move, describing it as a breach of standard Labour-Government protocols.
They argued that when a minimum wage is pronounced, it goes through the rigorous process of consequential adjustments that will translate into an agreement which would be signed by both the government and the Organised Labour.
They also noted that the increment is nothing to write home about and will not assuage the economic needs of the workers.
But the governor, in a reaction expressed dismay that the letter which he was yet to read leaked online this morning.
He said that not only will he not pay the striking workers but will also sack anyone who doesn’t report to work in the next 72 hours.
“If you didn’t go to work.Not only that I will not pay you salary. But I will replace you within 72 hours in your office. If I didn’t see you in your office.
“As far as I am not guilty. I am not owing you and I am paying you what is supposed to be paid. And according to agreement and constitution I am not owing you. If you don’t go to work within 72 hours I will replace you.
“I have called the chairman civil service commission. I have directed all the commissioners to go to their offices. All the agencies, all the department of government must be in their office. And record the people that come to work.
“And that is the people I will pay through table payment. By the number of days you attend to your duty in your office. If you don’t want to come to work, you will forget about the state government”, he said.
The governor argued that the law stipulated that the least paid worker must receive a minimum wage of N70,000.
He noted that the state government is not paying anyone below the stimulated amount and has gone ahead to carry out increment for other grades of workers.
He regretted that labour leaders in the state are not telling the workers the truth about the situation but instead got them to embark on a strike despite all the welfare packages he has implemented to better their conditions.
Meanwhile, workers in the state adhered to the strike called by their leaders, most government MDAs had very low turnout.
The Ochudo Secretariat and the old Government House Abakaliki all looked like a ghost town when our correspondent visited as most workers did not turn up for work.
NLC Chairman in the state, Ogugua Egwu said the strike recorded 90 percent compliance despite the late release of the circular yesterday evening.
