- The Governor of Anambra State, Chukwuma Soludo, conducted a surprise inspection at the Anambra State secretariat in Awka
- The governor has ordered an immediate suspension without pay for defaulting workers while describing the workforce as “the good, the bad and the ugly”
- Following the inspection, Soludo highlighted plans to strengthen supervision and evaluation mechanisms to ensure that all workers are held accountable for their duties
The Anambra State Governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo, has ordered the immediate suspension of civil servants who were absent from their duty posts as of 10 a.m., following an unannounced inspection of the state secretariat in Awka on Thursday, March 26.
The governor carried out a surprise visit across various ministries and departments to personally assess workers’ punctuality and overall work ethic.
His findings revealed that a significant number of employees had not resumed work at the expected time.
Speaking to journalists after the inspection, Soludo issued a firm directive that any staff member not present at their duty post by 10 a.m. should face suspension without pay.
He said, “I walked in, office by office, and there are quite a significant number of workers who are not yet at work as of 10 am. This is unacceptable.
“The ‘bad eggs’ will be shipped out because Anambra is an A-state and cannot afford an inefficient civil service.
“Firm measures will be taken to check these attitudes in the civil service.”
While describing the situation as a mix of “the good, the bad and the ugly,” the governor praised diligent workers who have consistently upheld professionalism and punctuality, noting that their commitment remains vital to the state’s progress.
However, he expressed strong dissatisfaction with recurring absenteeism and poor work attitudes among some staff, warning that indiscipline would no longer be tolerated.
Soludo reiterated his administration’s determination to build a disciplined, agile, and results-driven civil service, stressing that reforms would be strictly enforced.
He said, “The government had invested significantly in improving infrastructure and working conditions at the secretariat. Workers should reciprocate with dedication and productivity.”
During the visit, the governor also engaged directly with personnel to better understand the prevailing work culture within the system.
Highlighting the issue of persistent lateness and absenteeism, he warned, “Those who fail to meet time-keeping standards will be pinned off.
“The era of lacklustre performance and entitlement in the civil service has come to an end.
“We are committed to evolving a civil service that is agile, effective, and efficient.
“To achieve this, the administration is prioritising three key pillars of reform: deployment of technology, transitioning towards digital workflows to enhance speed and transparency.
“Effective supervision and evaluation, implementing rigorous performance tracking to ensure accountability at all levels and physical infrastructure improvements, sustaining the modernisation of the secretariat to provide a conducive work environment.”
The governor added that the inspection signals a clear push toward transforming the state’s bureaucracy, combining technological innovation with strict accountability measures.
According to him, the goal is to reposition the civil service as a high-performing engine for delivering meaningful development to the people of Anambra.