From George Onyejiuwa, Owerri
The Imo State civil servants yesterday defied the three-day work regime decreed by Governor Rochas Okorocha as they resumed work at their various offices at the state secretariat.
This was even as the Nigeria Labour Congress leaders ordered the workers to break the padlock used in locking the gate of the state secretariat by agents of the government to deny workers access to their offices in a bid to enforce the new work regime which took effect this month.
The governor last week decreed that civil servants in the state would only work from Monday to Wednesday while Thursday and Friday would be used for farming as part of the state government’s policy of “Back to Land and Agriculture.”
As a result the new work regime, the governor abolished both annual and causal leaves in the state civil service.
However, labour leaders ordered workers to ignore the order noting that the new work policy was not in the best interest of the state and the workers.
But Okorocha who spoke through his Chief Press Secretary, Sam Onwuemeodo appealed to the labour leaders to appreciate that the decision of the state Exco was in the best interest.
“It is important to still appeal to the labour leaders to sit down and have a second look at the policy,” the governor said.
“The new policy is in the best interest of everybody. If the policy succeeds it would mark an enviable turning point in the economy of the state and in the welfare of the workers in the state. One does not think that any patriotic citizen of the state would oppose this lofty programme,” he said.
He therefore appealed to the leadership of NLC to appreciate his good intentions and to show understanding over the new policy.