ENUGU STATE WORKERS RESUME WORK, COMMEND STEADY SALARY PAYMENT

Reporter : CHUKWUBUIKE MADU –

After four months of staying at home on the order of the Enugu State of Government following the outbreak of Coronavirus disease, civil and public servants have resumed fully in the state. The August 3, 2020 resumption followed a directive by the State Government.

Radio Nigeria monitored the resumption with the workers full of praises for the The Government for steady payment of salaries throughout their stay at home. It was on the 24th of March, 2020 that the Enugu State Governor directed workers in its employ to stay at home as part of measures to check the spread of the novel Coronavirus disease.

Radio Nigeria observed that as early as eight o’clock in the morning, some workers had already arrived at the State Secretariat. Right from the entry gate, personnel of the Nigeria security and Civil Defence Corps enforced strictly, the wearing of face masks among workers and visitors.

Radio Nigeria also observed the existence of hand washing facilities at different points. In an interview, some civil servant thanked God for resumption of duty, saying they were in high spirit to work as they were tired of staying at home for over four months.

“I feel happy waking up very early this morning and I was here as early as 8 o’clock and I’m happy with the turn up when I got to the office.

“Since I was at home, I didn’t like it but today I am very, very happy that I have resumed work. See me on my computer typing some documents.

“It wasn’t easy to have stayed at home from morning to night, weeks, months doing nothing. It was definitely not easy,” the workers noted.

The workers including Mr Uche Mgbachi, Chime Chukwudi and Mrs. Jacinta Mba also described as remarkable, the continuous payment of their salaries by the state government despite not coming to work.

“I thank the Governor for paying us at the end of every month. I have been wondering how he has been making up to get the money to pay us as not many states pay their workers regularly during this pandemic,” Mr. Mgbachi stated.

Another civil servant, Mr. Chukwudi Chime, said “we are lucky enough that while sitting at home we still received our salaries as and when due.”

It was commendation and assurances of hard work from a junior worker, Mrs. Jacinta Mba as she said: “We thank Government because they have been paying even before 23rd, at most 24th of the month and we promise to work with all our strength, all our intellect.”

For the senior civil servants, who had been coming to work, including Dr. Precious Nnaji, it was heart warming to welcome other colleagues.

“We are very happy to see others returning ro work today, seeing ourselves that God kept us alive, hail and hearty. I think it is a thing to thank God for,” Dr. Nnaji remarked.

Meanwhile, the Acting Head of Service, in the state, Mr. Ken Chukwuegbo said though COVID-19 was still prevalent, the Government decontaminated the environment to make it safe for the workers and insisted that all COVID19 precautionary measures would be maintained.

“Over the weekend, the State Government ensured that the state fire service decontaminated the whole secretariat complex. The aim is to ensure that the work place is safe for the workers.

“The State Government provided free face masks and free hand sanitizers to all the civil servants in the state public service.

“There is a notice that you must wear your face masks and when you come into the secretariat, you must wash or sanitize your hands and observe social distancing,” Mr. Chukwuegbo stated.

Mr. Chukwuegbo urged the workers to be diligent to duty as attendance was being monitored.