On Wednesday, Hyacinth Alia, the Benue State Governor, locked out hundreds of civil servants during an unscheduled visit to the state secretariat, where he found only a handful of workers present.
As the governor’s convoy arrived around 10:35 am to inspect ongoing renovation works, including the installation of new lights, security personnel locked the gates, leaving hundreds of civil servants locked out.
While touring various ministries, the governor expressed his dismay after discovering that some commissioners and senior officials were absent from work.
On his way out of the secretariat, the governor addressed a crowd of workers gathered at the gate, voicing his concerns over their lacklustre approach to their duties.
He said, “With what you are doing, you are creating a vicious circle for your families. You cannot get money and be uplifted because you are cheats and because of the effect of what you are doing.
“The work I do is not for me, but for those who don’t know that I am the governor and those who will see me and not 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. I am speaking to you as a priest and not as governor and telling you the dangers of what you are doing.”
He concluded, “It is not about me, who is government? All of you here are the government. Even in the family, somebody governs the home and there are rules. And in every government there are rules. I am not frustrated but I do not want you to be doomed.
“See what you can do if not for yourselves but for the people you are caring for and are behind you because they are the ones to take the heat.”
