Nigerian Governor Locks Out Commissioners, Civil Servants, Reason Emerges
- Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia made a surprise visit to the state secretariat on Wednesday, January 22
- The unannounced visit prompted the security to lock out hundreds of civil servants from the premises
- Governor Alia expressed displeasure at the absence of several commissioners and high-ranking officials
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Hyacinth Alia, the governor of Benue state, visited the secretariat unannounced on Wednesday, January 22 but found only a few officials at work.
The presence of the governor's convoy reportedly led to security personnel effectively locking out hundreds of workers and some commissioners.
Source: Twitter
Alia expresses concerns about workers' work ethics
The Nation reported that the governor then toured the facilities and expressed dismay about the absence of several high-ranking officials, including several of the commissioners.
Speaking to the civil servants who had been locked out, Governor Alia questioned their work ethic and warned that there were consequences for their actions.
He further noted that his administration would take disciplinary action against those who were not present at work when his convoy arrived.
Governor Alia then stated that the workers were government representatives and should be responsible for adhering to the rules and regulations.
What Alia did after he was sworn in
Governor Alia is one of the new All Progressives Congress (APC) governors who defeated the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in their states. Shortly after his swearing-in in 2023, he froze the state bank accounts.
Unlike others, Alia said the directive's purpose was to allow a change of signatories to the state account while warning banks not to allow any debit transaction through the state bank accounts until signatories had been changed.
Alia's convoy involved in accident
Recently, Governor Alia was involved in an accident while driving in a convoy at Ihugh town in Vandeikya, a local government area in Benue state.
The accident on Sunday, December 29, reportedly claimed one person's life near Ihugh market in Vandeikya, the governor's hometown.
The locals gave an account of the accident when Alia visited his community for the Christmas holidays.
According to the eyewitnesses, the accident happened when the convoy was returning to the state capital, Makurdi. One person was said to have been injured in the accident while others claimed a person had died.
However, Solomon Iorpev, the governor's Technical Adviser on Media, Publicity and Strategic Communication, debunked the reports.
Iorpev said the vehicle was not part of Governor Alia's convoy. He maintained that the vehicle had gone on a mission and was returning when the accident happened.
Alia approves N75,000 minimum wages
Legit.ng also previously reported that Benue governor Alia approved a new minimum wage of N75,000 for the state's workers.
His spokesperson, Tersoo Kula said the agreement was sealed at a meeting with labout leaders in Makurdi on November 18 last year.
Kula stated that the move had laid to rest the claims that the governor was planning to implement a new minimum wage of only N40,000.
Proofreading by Nkem Ikeke, journalist and copy editor at Legit.ng.
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Source: Legit.ng
