There are palpable fears among some staffers of the Enugu State Local Government administration due to veiled indication of the state government’s resolve to lay them off, Blueprint has gathered.
This is because many of the local government workers did not get the code that would enable them participate in the ongoing online and physical verification.
The development is said to have been giving the workers goose pimples that it might be the end of their career as public servants.
The Secretary to the State Government, (SSG), Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, in conjunction with the Local Government Staff Verification Committee had indicated that the staff must get their verification code from their respective local government payroll officers.
A circular from the offices directed them to visit the government website to complete the online verification form with their details whereas many of them did not get the code a day before the closing date of the portal which was opened between January 11, 2024 and January 18, 2024.
Blueprint learnt that some of them could not get the code at all till the end of the close of the portal, an indication that if nothing is done, they could be termed as “ghost workers.”
Investigation showed that whereas those that got the code late could not access the portal as well as those that did not see their names all, the verification has commenced in earnest as the committee has visited some local government already for the verification.
Those caught in the web of not getting the code for the online verification are now in a quandary as to what would be their fate, it was also gathered.
“This is the way some staff of the state civil servants were sacked during Gov. Chimaroke Nnamani day. We are afraid that they might lay us off as ghost workers if eventually we were not allowed to participate in the excercise,” a staff who did not get the code in time lamented.
An insider from the Local Government Service Commission disclosed that the affected staff have been directed to submit their names to their payroll officers.
“This may not be the end of road for them. Those affected have been asked to fill forms with their payroll officers. Their case could be visited. They should not fear,” she encouraged.
But speaking on the notty issue, the Commissioner for Information said that there was still hope for the affected staff.
“The essence of the exercise is to sanitise the local government system. Those who could not see their names at all and those that saw their names when the portal closed still stand the chance of being considered,” Aka said.
