2,000 Local Government workers sacked by the Imo State government have been recalled.
The state government said the it recalled the workers on compassionate grounds.
According to a statement by Chief Press Secretary to Imo State Governor, Sam Onwuemedo, he said Governor Rochas Okorocha also directed for the immediate payment of their five months salary arrears from January to May, 2017.
The statement reads:
“The governor also directed for the immediate payment of their five months Salary arrears, from January to May, 2017.
“The governor announced the Pardon and the lifting of the Suspension Order when he met with the affected workers on Wednesday, June 14, 2017 with the NLC State Chairman, Comrade Austin Chilakpu and Chief of Staff, Government House, Chief Uche Nwosu in attendance.
“The Suspended Local Government Workers were those found not to have come to work upto thirty percent, and those involved in other irregularities ranging from impersonation to false declaration of age, during the monitoring and verification exercises embarked upon by the government calculated to weed the Local Government System of bad eggs.
“The governor told the pardoned staff of the Local Government Councils to go home and sin no more and regretted a situation where one would visit Local Government offices, and could hardly find 200 people on seat, while you have a record of more than one thousand workers.
“The governor told the affected staff that the worst any worker could do is to take salary without working for it, and also noted that the greatest Challenge facing the Local Government System is the lukewarm attitude of the workers to work. And also reiterated that Politicians have also contributed to the rot in the Local Government administration.
“The governor also told the workers to make sure that they sign the attendance register every working day and equally made them to understand that henceforth, government would take the issues of absenteeism and lateness to work seriously.
“The workers had demonstrated excitement and sang to show their appreciation to the governor for being considerate and compassionate.
“The Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Imo State Chapter, Comrade Austin Chilakpu described the governor as a man with the heart of God and prayed that God would continue to use him for the prosperity of the State and her people.