The Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo, has ordered the suspension of civil servants not on duty by 10 am following his surprise inspection of the state secretariat in Awka on Thursday.
The directive came after Soludo conducted an on-the-spot assessment of punctuality across ministries and departments. Speaking to journalists after the visit, he emphasised that any worker not found at their post by the stipulated time would be suspended without pay.
“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,” Soludo said, stressing that firm measures would be taken to curb indiscipline.
While describing his findings as a mix of “the good, the bad and the ugly,” the governor commended diligent civil servants for their dedication and professional integrity, calling their efforts the foundation of his administration’s developmental goals.
Soludo warned that absenteeism, late-coming, and lack of commitment would no longer be tolerated in the state’s civil service. He reiterated the administration’s resolve to build a disciplined, agile, efficient, and result-oriented workforce, with reforms strictly enforced.
“The government had invested significantly in improving infrastructure and working conditions at the secretariat. Workers should reciprocate with dedication and productivity,” he added.
During his inspection, Soludo interacted directly with personnel to assess work culture and emphasised three key pillars of civil service reform:
Deployment of technology – transitioning to digital workflows for enhanced speed and transparency.
Effective supervision and evaluation – implementing rigorous performance tracking to ensure accountability.
Physical infrastructure improvements – modernising the secretariat to provide a conducive work environment.
The governor described the visit as a definitive directive for transforming Anambra’s bureaucracy, integrating technological innovation with strict disciplinary oversight to ensure a high-performance civil service that delivers tangible benefits to residents.
