Ekiti workers stay away from work without holiday

Civil servants in Ekiti state yesterday abandoned their duty posts even when the state government has not declared a public holiday ahead Saturday’s governorship election. Most government’s offices were shut with a few workers seen loitering around without doing any specific work. Investigations revealed that the workers’ action was informed by the thinking of civil […]

Civil servants in Ekiti state yesterday abandoned their duty posts even when the state government has not declared a public holiday ahead Saturday’s governorship election.

Most government’s offices were shut with a few workers seen loitering around without doing any specific work.

Investigations revealed that the workers’ action was informed by the thinking of civil servants that government would declare public holiday on the eve of the election but were shocked that otherwise was the case.
A civil servant who pleaded not to be mentioned said they decided to stay away from work because not all of them are resident in Ado Ekiti, the state capital.
Beside, he said the retinue of security agents deployed on all highways would not allow them to travel to their home towns in the evening of Friday and Saturday morning to cast their votes.
He said the fears of civil servants were hinged on pri-declaration of restriction of movement of both vehicular and human movement begining from 6pm on Friday and 8pm on Saturday.
Another civil servant who were sighted briefly in his office and dissappeared soon after, said most civil servants who stayed away misconstrued the earlier holiday declared for primary and secondary school pupils to be a general public holiday for all public workers.
When contacted on the development, the Commissioner for Information and Civic Orientation, Mr. Tayo Ekundayo expressed worry over workers’ attitude insisting that government did not declare a public holiday.
He added: ” Well to the best of my knowledge I know government never declared any holiday.”