By Ighomuaye Lucky. O
The rationale behind shutting out over a hundred civil servants at the secretariat by the governor of Benue State, Hyacinth Alia has been revealed.
It was said that the governor shut out the civil servants for coming to work late when he paid an unscheduled visit to the secretariat.
It was learnt that the governor arrived at the secretariat at about 10:35 am and ordered that the gates be immediately locked while many workers were still strolling in for work when they should have reported by 8 am.
The gates were quickly locked and were manned by gun-wielding security officers from his convoy while he took time to inspect ongoing renovation works in the complex.
Governor Alia, who normally carries out routine unscheduled visits to the secretariat, went around most of the offices in the ministries and discovered to his surprise that while some categories of staff, especially junior staff, were present, some principal officers, including commissioners and directors, were absent.
The absence of the principal officers, was said, even stalled a scheduled meeting between the Governor and directors.
The development also created a traffic jam in front of the secretariat, as both workers and visitors who had business to conduct at the ministries were left stranded for about two hours.
Addressing the workers when he was leaving, governor Alia told them that he had the power to get their names and direct their immediate sack, but had decided to restrain himself and speak to them first as a priest to conscientise them on the implications of their actions.
He told the workers that, “With what you are doing, you are creating a vicious circle for yourself and your families. You cannot get money and be uplifted because you are cheats, and because of the effect of what you are doing.”
Alia, who noted that the state civil servants are also part of the government and should know better, said, “The work I do is not for me, but for those who don’t know that I’m the Governor and those who will see me and not even recognise me. I’m appealing to you because I have a quick way of getting your names and firing you, as I have the power to do so. But I am speaking to you as a priest and not as Governor, telling you the dangers of what you are doing.”
“It is not about me; who is government? All of you here are government. Even in the family, somebody governs the home and there are rules. And in every government, there are rules. I’m speaking to you because I do not want you to be doomed.”
“See what you can do to help, if not yourselves, then those people you are caring for and those behind you, because they are the ones who will take the heat of the circle you have created.”
