AS THE WORKS MINISTER LOCKS OUT STAFF FOR BEING LATE, THERE IS PROTEST

Babatunji Wusu –

Yesterday, employees of the Federal Ministry of Works protested as Engr. David Umahi, the minister of works, shut out the employees for arriving late to work.

The enraged employees sang anti-Umahi songs and asked that he leave.

The employees said that because their homes were far away, they could not easily report for duty.

One of the senior officials clarified that traveling great distances to go to work was the main cause of their arriving late to work.

Some of them, according to him, travel from as far away as Gwagwalada, Keffi, Abaji, Kuje, Kwali, and Kaduna Road, and they frequently have to wait for colleagues with cars before they can get at the office.

The representative claimed that they take such actions to lower their transportation costs.

Some senior officials earn between N80,000 and N100,000 per month, he added, adding that we all have families. Once transportation and other costs are subtracted, there is nothing left over. We must thus find alternatives, like waiting for coworkers who drive to work.

Later, the minister let them in, but the employees turned him down because they insisted he first address them. They claimed that before making the severe decisions, Umahi should have issued a warning or circular to inform them.