Sokoto State Governor Ahmed Aliyu on Thursday locked the Government House gate against late-arriving staff. The governor was said to have driven himself to Government House around 8:30 a.m., only to discover that the majority of the staff was not in their respective offices.
At the Government House Clinic, he only met cleaners and one nurse. He did, however, order the security guards to lock the gate and not allow anyone in.
According to reports, the gate remained closed until around 1pm. Many senior staff, including some of the governor’s aides, were locked out, according to Daily Trust.
While justifying his decision, Aliyu explained that;
This is not a matter of joke.
What is expected from any serious government is to ensure a timely payment of workers’ salary.
When I came in, I paid two months’ salaries within three weeks.
That is why I drove myself to the office because my drivers did not come in time.
But I will not tell you my next line of action because you too came late (referring to the interviewers), he said.
The governor added that “I promised the people of Sokoto State that I would not betray their trust nor allow any public officers to do so.
You either work or return our money. You cannot collect our money without justifying it, he said.