Okorocha Fires Over 3,000 State’s Public Servants after “Productivity Audit”

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Imo, Latest Headlines, News From The State Monday, January 18th, 2016

By Ignatius Okpara,Owerri

BALTIMORE, MD (AFRICAN EXAMINER) – Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo state, has thrown over 3,000 workers in 19 States’s parastatals, agencies and departments into the labour market, as he summarily disengaged them from service.

AFRICAN EXAMINER gathered that the state’s government stopped payment of the salaries of the affected workers effective from January 4, 2016.

The development came on the heels of last Wednesday’s labour protest in Owerri the State capital, which was led by the National President of Nigerian Labour Congress, (NLC), Comrade Ayuba Wabba.

A statement issued by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Sir Jude Ejiogu which was obtained by newsmen Monday, stated that the affected workers included those of Imo Water Corporation, Imo Cattle Market, Imo Sports Council, Imo State Environmental Transformation Commission, ENTRACO, Imo Marketing Company, Imo Consumer Protection Council, Hospital Management Board and its headquarters staff.

Also sacked are workers of Imo Tourism Board, Imo Blue Lake of Treasure, Imo State Investment Promotion Agency, Imo Job Centre, Imo Water Development Agency, IWADA, Imo Library Board, Imo Agricultural Loans Board, Imo Livestock, Imo Poverty Alleviation Agency, Imo Palm Plantation, Agricultural Development Programme, ADP and Small Holders Unit.

The statement explained that the action followed “a productivity audit recently conducted in the parastatals, agencies and departments.”

“Government is satisfied that it is no longer in public interest to keep running these agencies, parastatals and departments with huge cost on public revenue and no services to the public, under the present economic realities.”

The state government however, promised that the affected workers would be communicated in due course, about the administration’s next line of action regarding possible re-engagement, after the on-going concessioning exercise affecting the agencies, departments and parastatals.

Meanwhile, all the affected staff have been directed to handover all government property in their possession to their chief executives within 48 hours, while civil servants on secondment to any of the affected agencies, parastatals and agencies, were deployed to their parent Ministries.