In a bid to increase the state’s internally generated revenue and
diversify its economy, the Imo state government has introduced a policy
where state civil servants are to work for only three days in the week,
Monday to Wednesday while Thursday and Friday, they are to go their
farms to cultivate what they would eat. A statement by the state
governor, Rochas Okorocha’s Chief Press secretary, Sam Onwuemeodo, said
the new policy will not affect the salaries of workers. Read the full
statement shared on the state government’s Facebook page below…
The government of Imo State has introduced a policy taggedโBACK TO LAND
FOR AGRICULTUREโ to enable the state engage and invest heavily in
agriculture for self-sustenance since from all indications the state can
no longer depend on monthly allocation for survival.The governor Owelle Rochas Okorocha disclosed the โBack To Land For
Agricultureโ policy of the state government when traditional rulers from
the state operating under the aegis of Royal fathers in Agriculture
paid him courtesy call at the Government House Owerri on Monday, August
1, 2016. He said, the State Executive Council has given approval to the
new policy.Against the backdrop of the โBack to Land for Agricultureโ Programme,
the governor directed that public servants in the state would now work
from Mondays to Wednesdays, and use Thursdays and Fridays for
agriculture (farming) while Saturdays can be used for ceremonies. And
the directive takes effect from Monday August 1, 2016.However, the governor exempted public servants on essential duties like
the teachers, nurses, doctors and people involved in Internally
Generated Revenue drive. Political appointees are also exempted from the
three-days working periods.The governor added โwe shall try this programme for the period of one
year, starting from 1st of August 2016 and hopefully this will help. Let
me make this emphasis before it is misconstrued or misrepresented, that
this does not in any way affect the salaries of the workers. Workers
will get their full salaries as been the practice. So the policy does
not mean that there will be a cut in salary rather let us now find a way
for our workers to supplement their salariesโ.He continued โfor this reason the issue of annual leave and casual leave
is hereby cancelled. Resumption time for work has changed from 8am to
7.30am in the morning and ends by 4pm. Any worker that is not found on
his or her seat between 7.30am and 4pm on the days concerned will be
summarily dismissedโ.โEverybody must go back to agriculture. Every political appointee must
own a farm. The youths would also be encouraged to take to agriculture.
Schools including Universities, Polytechnics and Secondary schools in
the state must own farms. The Community Government Council (CGC) must be
strengthened for the sake of this agricultural programmeโ.โTwo billion naira (N2b) has been set aside at the micro-finance bank
for the purpose of this Back To Land For Agriculture policy so that
those willing can access it. And time is gone again when politicians and
some Imolites will come to government in the pretence of farming and
collect loans and use it to buy cars and marry new wivesโ.โAgain, the June and July Salaries would be paid this week. We are
making sure that our workers are comfortable and our pensioners are
happy because this is one area the whole nation is having a serious
challenge. Our problem is not being unable to pay salaries but paying
over-bloated salaries. We are also making effort to pay our pensioners
once the harmonization is overโ.โI also want to announce that government has appealed to families and
those who organize burials on Mondays to Wednesdays to please change and
have their burials on Saturdays so that we can concentrate on the
governmentโs work and on the agricultural programme.โEverything that has to do with agriculture no matter what shape it
comes, government will support it. So many countries are going through
economic crisis because of the fall in oil. Our nation is also going
through very difficult moment. We have taken responsibility as leaders
and we are not blaming anyone. Wise nations and leaders save for the
rainy days. There were periods the oil price was in our favour. But
those incharge then blew the money. They made no savings. Today the oil
price globally has crashed and here we are. And we must fall back to
agriculture as the panaceaโ Governor Okorocha stated.
Sam Onwuemeodo
Chief Press Secretary to the Governor
