Gov Okorocha’s formula to address salaries owed and feed workers

Imo state Governor Rochas Okorocha’s three-day work week and two farming days for civil servants has begun.

The government recently introduced a policy it tagged, “Back to Land for Agriculture”, positing that the policy was to ensure that the state invests more on agriculture as people can no longer sustain their family with monthly salaries.

With the policy, state public civil servants will only do their government work between Mondays and Wednesdays, while they will use the remaining working days of Thursdays and Fridays to do farming and Saturdays for ceremonies.

Those only exempted are public servants on essential duties like the teachers, nurses, doctors and people involved in Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) drive and political appointees.

Governor Okorocha, who made this known to traditional rulers in the state, when they paid him a courtesy call at
the government house Owerri on Monday, said that the State Executive Council (SEC) has given approval to the new policy.

According to Sam Onwuemeodo, Chief Press Secretary to the governor, who released this in a press statement, said the policy is in effect from Monday August 1 (yesterday).

He said: The policy does not mean that there will be a cut in salary rather let us now find a way for our workers to supplement their salaries.

Read also: Despite hardship, APC boasts Nigerians feeling the ‘change’ promised

“For this reason the issue of annual leave and casual leave is hereby cancelled. Resumption time for work has changed from 8am to 7.30am in the morning and ends by 4pm. Any worker that is not found on his or her seat between
7.30am and 4pm on the days concerned will be summarily dismissed”.

“Everybody must go back to agriculture. Every political appointee must own a farm. The youths would also be encouraged to take to agriculture. Schools including universities, polytechnics and secondary schools in the state must own farms. The Community Government Council (CGC) must be strengthened for the sake of this agricultural programme.

“Two billion naira (N2b) has been set aside at the micro-finance bank for the purpose of this Back to Land for Agriculture policy so that those willing can access it. And time is gone again when politicians and some Imolites will come to government in the pretence of farming and collect loans and use it to buy cars and marry new wives.

“I also want to announce that government has appealed to families and those who organize burials on Mondays to Wednesdays to please change and have their burials on Saturdays so that we can concentrate on the government’s work and on the agricultural programme.

“Everything that has to do with agriculture no matter what shape it comes, government will support it. So many countries are going through economic crisis because of the fall in oil. Our nation is also going through very difficult moment. We have taken responsibility as leaders and we are not blaming anyone.”

By Ebere Ndukwu …

 

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