Delta govt deletes 1, 021 workers from payroll over sundry offences
• Okowa charges electoral commission on enabling laws APBN hosts 33rd Annual General Assembly, awards
THE Delta State Civil Service has deleted 1, 021 workers from the government’s payroll following a directive by Governor Ifeanyi Okowa to weed them out.
This was, however, described in some quarters as alleged attempts to retrench workers in the state.
But Special Adviser to the Governor on Labour Matters, Mike Okeme, confirmed that the state government’s decision to delete 1, 021 workers’ names
THE Association of Professional Bodies of Nigeria (APBN) will today host its distinguished guests and the general public at its 33rd Annual General Assembly and Awards.
The event, which will involve members of the association and various professionals across the country, will be taking from its payroll was informed by their alleged negligence to duty and failure to go to work without official permission.
Noting that the state government could not continue to pay ghost workers, including the nonchalant ones, Okeme disclosed that the decision to delete names of workers from the payroll was not a plot to retrench workers even on the face of over bloated state workforce.
Theguardian learnt that place at the Golden Gate Paradise Hotel, Ikoyi, Lagos.
It is scheduled to commence at 10am prompt while the awards for professional excellence would be given by 1pm.
The event, which will feature veterans in different fields like Registrar of the Chattered Institute of Purchasing and Supply Management of the state currently has over 60, 000 workers in its payroll, a situation Okeme described as sordid and unacceptable considering the economic recession. Expectedly, the state owned Ogwashi-uku Polytechnic, College of Education, Agbor are among institutions having over bloated workforce, and had to delete some workers’ names from the staff lists.
Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Charles Ehiedu Aniagwu, who corroborated Nigeria (CIPSMN), Alhaji M. J. Aliyu who is one of the awardees would be hosted by Dr. Omede Idris, while Dr. F. A. Faduyile would be guest speaker.
Chairman of the Organising Committee, Oye Akinsulire and members of the association have made adequate preparations to make the event a success. Okowa’s move to weed out ghost workers, said names of the workers deleted from payroll was followed by incontrovertible evidence of gross negligence of duties, adding that it was not true that the state government had reached a decision to retrench workers.
Sources said heads of departments in various ministries were last week given matching orders to compile names of workers who allegedly have been defaulting in their duties to the gov- ernor directly, an order sending fear of the unknown in all government offices.
Okowa has also directed that the names of 145 staff of the State Post Primary Education Board (PPEB) be deleted from the payroll.
Meanwhile, Okowa has charged members of electoral commission to acquaint themselves with enabling laws to enable them effectively deliver their mandate to the electorate.
He made the call yesterday in Asaba during the swear- ing-in ceremony of Chief Michael Ogbodu as Chairman of the Delta State Independent Electoral Commission (DSIEC).
Also sworn-in as members of the commission were Messrs Frederick Ulakpa, Friday Seimode, James Umokoro, Greg Edeme, Light Diden and Yvonne Wagbatsoma.
He said Chairmen and members should look into the laws establishing the commission, get acquainted with them so that they could carry out other duties as specified by the laws.