Alex Otti, Abia Governor

Most civil servants in Abia have yet to resume work after the two-day public holiday for the Christmas celebration.

The Federal Government had declared Monday 25 and Tuesday 26 as public holiday.

A News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondent, who visited the Abia Secretariat at Ogurube Layout, Umuahia, reports that the complex, which was usually a beehive of activities, was virtually empty.

Most of the offices were under lock and key, while the ones that opened had a few workers, who were busy cleaning up their tables and lockers.

It was also observed that most of the shops and kiosks located within the secretariat complex, which were usually busy during weekdays, were still locked.

Some of the civil servants who reported to work were seen exchanging Christmas pleasantries.

Those who spoke to NAN, expressed happiness that work had resumed and attributed the low turnout to the usual lull associated with resumption after Christmas break.

A Senior Administrative Officer, Ministry of Trade, Commerce and Industry, Mr Patrick Nduaguime, said he wouldn’t know why some workers were yet to resume, “because our two-day holiday expired on Tuesday.”

The excited Nduaguime lauded Gov. Alex Otti-led administration for initiating several positive reforms in the state civil service.

He said: “There has been a lot of difference since the new government came in and the civil service work has now been very serious.

“You can see the renovation around the complex, making workers feel very comfortable.

“So I don’t see any reason I won’t come to work because our salary is now paid as at when due, among other things.”

Similarly, a staff member of the Ministry of Lands and Housing, Mr Uchenna Eze, who was the only person met in office, explained that the office was empty because the workers were in the field.

According to him, ours is a field ministry and most of our staff members are always in the field.

“We don’t enjoy that privilege so much as others because yesterday (Tuesday) I was still at work and, to a very large extent, we work round the clock here,” he said.

Eze also commended the governor for ensuring prompt payment of salaries, saying that he had already received two payments within this month, one being salary, another the “13th month” allowance the governor promised us.

“The renovation of the secretariat, including the perimeter fencing and regular salary payment are positive changes that we are happy about as civil servants,” he said.

Commercial banks in Umuahia were open to customers, some of which were seen inside the banking halls and ATM points carrying out financial transactions.

Also in Owerri, civil servants have yet to resume after the two-day public holiday to celebrate Christmas.

NAN reports that the state secretariat was still under lock-and-key.

A security guard, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said that “workers do not usually resume on December 27 in the past”.

He said that people were still having the Christmas fun with their loved ones and might resume after the New Year holiday.

“I’m not expecting workers to resume until January 3, because that is usually the tradition here,” he said.

Some major areas of Owerri metropolis, such as Douglas and Wethedral Roads, were virtually empty, with very few commercial buses on the road. (NAN)