The Anambra State Governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo, has ordered the suspension of civil servants not on duty by 10 am during his surprise visit to the state secretariat in Awka, on Thursday. Soludo gave the order after conducting an on-the-spot assessment of workers’ punctuality across ministries and departments of the state.
Addressing journalists after the visit, the governor said any worker not found at their duty post by 10 am should be suspended without pay. He said, “I walked in, office by office, and there are quite a significant number of workers who are not yet at work as of 10 am. This is unacceptable.
“The ‘bad eggs’ will be shipped out because Anambra is an A-state and cannot afford an inefficient civil service. Firm measures will be taken to check these attitudes in the civil service.”
The governor described his overall findings as a mix of “the good, the bad, and the ugly,” commending diligent workers while expressing dissatisfaction with absenteeism and poor work ethic among some staff.
He warned that the state government would no longer tolerate indiscipline and lack of commitment in the civil service.
Soludo restated his administration’s resolve to build a disciplined, agile, efficient, and result-oriented workforce, adding that reforms would be strictly enforced.
“The government had invested significantly in improving infrastructure and working conditions at the secretariat. Workers should reciprocate with dedication and productivity,” he added.
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, Soludo 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, emphasising that their dedication remains the bedrock of his administration’s developmental goals.
Addressing the issue of chronic “absenteeism and late-coming,” Soludo said, “Those who fail to meet time-keeping standards will be pinned off. “The era of lacklustre performance and entitlement in the civil service has come to an end.