The Governor of Anambra State, Chukwuma Soludo, Thursday ordered an overhaul of the State Civil Service following a surprise inspection that revealed widespread concerns over punctuality, discipline and work ethic.
During the visit with his team at about 10:30 am, the governor discovered, to his shock, that the majority of workers were not in their offices, with many departments completely empty during official hours.
He ordered the security guards at the entrance gate to lock the area, prompting many workers to besiege the gate upon learning of his presence.
The Governor uncovered that in some ministries and departments where between eight and ten or more workers were expected, only two—or none—were on duty during the visit.
In the unscheduled visit to the state secretariat in Awka, he ordered the immediate suspension without pay of any civil servant not present at their duty post during the inspection, stating that “if some staff “are not here by 10am, it means we don’t need them.”
Explaining that the impromptu visit was at evaluating the prevailing work culture within the state’s administrative system, Soludo described his findings as a mix of “the good, the bad and the ugly,” warning that indiscipline would no longer be tolerated.
Using the visit to engage directly with staff to assess their conduct and commitment to public service, he stressed that “Anambra is an A-state and cannot afford an inefficient civil service.”
The Governor pointed out that his administration has already committed significant resources to upgrading facilities at the secretariat and expects a corresponding improvement in productivity and accountability from staff.
Soludo laid out a reform agenda anchored on three key pillars: the deployment of digital technologies to improve efficiency and transparency, strengthened supervision and performance evaluation mechanisms, and continued investment in infrastructure to enhance working conditions.
He asserted that workers who fail to align with the administration’s standards would be removed from the system.
“The inspection emphasises my administration’s determination to transform the state’s bureaucracy into a high-performing institution capable of delivering effective governance and tangible benefits to the people,” the Governor concluded.
