- The minister eventually allowed the protesting staff members in, but they refused to enter, saying that the minister must come and address them
- The worker said they wanted the minister to discuss measures and solutions about their late arrival
Following the lateness of several workers at the Ministry of Works and Housing, Minister David Umahi took the decision to lock them out of the office. This action has sparked protests among the disgruntled staff who are now calling for the minister’s removal.
The minister’s decision to lock out the latecomers on Thursday morning prompted a demonstration by the affected employees, who accused him of being overly strict. As they raised their voices in protest, the staff chanted “Umahi must go,” expressing their dissatisfaction with his leadership.
During interviews with reporters, one of the protesting staff members chose to remain anonymous but shed light on some of the challenges that make it difficult for workers to arrive at the office on time.
“Most of us live in areas as far as Suleja in Niger State, some in Gwagwalada, Kefi, Abaji, Kuje Kwali, Kaduna road,” he said.
He also noted the effect of fuel subsidy removal, resulting in high transportation fares, hence, the need to join colleagues who have cars.
“Matters have been compounded with the fuel subsidy removal. We often have to join some of our friends who have cars to come to work because of the huge transportation cost.
“Most of us don’t earn up to N80,000 as salary monthly; how do we feed our families and meet other obligations? We expect the Minister to show a better understanding of the situation in the country instead of trying to run this place like Ebonyi State,” he stated.
The minister eventually allowed the protesting staff members in, but they refused to enter, saying that the minister must come and address them.
The worker said they wanted the minister to discuss measures and solutions about their late arrival.
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