Imo State Commissioner for Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Mazi Uche Ohia, has charged staff of his Ministry to be productive and disciplined in order to serve Imo people effectively.
Mazi Uche Ohia who was represented by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Sir T.U.C Nwokonkwo, gave the charge at the first meeting in 2022 of the top management staff of the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts held recently at the Ministry Headquarters, Block 8, State Secretariat, PortHarcourt Road, Owerri.
Speaking on behalf of the Commissioner, the Permanent Secretary thanked the Heads of Departments of the Ministry for their “wonderful cooperation and hard work in 2021.” He added that “all achievements of the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts in 2021 were attributable to the leadership of the Honourable Commissioner and the dedicated efforts of management and staff of the Ministry.”
The Permanent Secretary disclosed that henceforth, “government would view seriously any acts of misconduct by Civil Servants”. According to him, “Governor Hope Uzodimma has stated that the Civil Service is the tool for him to achieve results and that he needs the Civil Servants to be available; he said he would do anything to motivate the public service”.
Sir T.U.C Nwokonkwo said government was not happy that in spite of the free transport service for workers and other labour-friendly gestures from government, many of them do not come to work regularly.
Sir Nwokonkwo further disclosed that “government is introducing strict attendance monitoring system and Heads of Departments will be held responsible and accountable for all staff under them. HODs are therefore mandated to monitor attendance to work”.
Sir T.U.C Nwokonkwo stated that direct warnings and queries would be given to defaulting workers on weekly basis and those who stay away from work up to a month would have their salaries stopped.
He said, “Administration Department will issue direct warning to all staff who come late to work at the end of every week. Those who are absent will receive corresponding queries every week. Heads of Departments will be held responsible for truant staff and Permanent Secretaries are to report to the Head of Service staff who are absent for one month. The HOS will write a letter for the stoppage of the salaries of such workers”.
The Permanent Secretary who appealed to the Heads of Departments to work so hard and well such that the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts would be known for quality and efficient service delivery charged them to treat the public courteously.
He directed the HODs to prepare work plans for their Departments in line with their various inputs into the 2022 Approved Budget of the State Government, just as he harped on the need for inter-departmental cooperation.
In his remarks, the Head of Department of Administration & Finance, Okoroji Justin, assured the Commissioner of the continuing loyalty of staff of the Ministry to the State Government, promising that HODs would be diligent in the discharge of their duties.
