Absenteeism Under Fire as Soludo Moves to Suspend Workers
The Governor of Anambra State, Prof. Charles Soludo, may suspend absentee civil servants and those who fail to report to work on time.
When Governor Charles Soludo visited the State Secretariat on Thursday at about 10 a.m., he discovered that many workers were not in their offices.
He subsequently locked the entrance gate and began an inspection of offices within the complex.
Soludo expressed shock that, as of 10 a.m. on a Thursday morning, most civil servants had yet to report for duty.
Consequent upon his observation, he ordered the compilation of a list of workers who were present, announcing that those absent would face suspension.
In a statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr. Christian Aburime, the governor wondered what a civil servant could be doing at 10 a.m. when they were expected to be at work.
Aburime said the unscheduled visit was conducted to evaluate staff conduct, punctuality, and overall dedication to public service.
During his inspection of various ministries and departments, the governor engaged directly with personnel to assess the prevailing work culture.
Providing a candid situational report, Governor Soludo described his observations as a composite of “the good, the bad, and the ugly.”
The governor, however, paid 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.
In a stern address to the workforce, Governor Soludo issued a final warning to non-performing elements. He stated unequivocally that individuals who fail to align with the administration’s vision “will be shapped out.”
Addressing the issue of chronic absenteeism and lateness, the governor noted that those who fail to meet time-keeping standards “will be pinned off,” asserting that the era of lacklustre performance and entitlement in the civil service has come to an end.
Governor Soludo reiterated his commitment to building a civil service that is agile, effective, and efficient.
He said that his administration is prioritising three key pillars of reform: deployment of technology—transitioning toward digital workflows to enhance speed and transparency; effective supervision and evaluation—implementing rigorous performance tracking to ensure accountability at all levels; and physical infrastructure improvements—sustaining the modernisation of the Secretariat to provide a conducive work environment.
Referencing the ongoing infrastructural upgrades, soludo said “We have invested quite a bit in this place”
He maintained that the government’s significant investment in the Secretariat must be reciprocated by a renewed sense of duty and productivity from staff.
The governor’s visit, he said, serves as a definitive directive for the total transformation of the state’s bureaucracy.
” By integrating technological innovation with strict disciplinary oversight, the administration aims to ensure that the civil service remains a high-performance vehicle for delivering the dividends of democracy to Ndi Anambra,the system added.
