Soludo pays unscheduled visit to secretariat, warns non-performing staff

In a bid to overhaul the state’s administrative machinery, Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, has signalled an imminent repositioning of the workforce following an unscheduled assessment visit to the State Secretariat in Awka.

The governor carried out the visit on Thursday to evaluate staff conduct, punctuality and overall dedication to public service.

During the inspection of various ministries and departments, Soludo engaged directly with personnel to assess the prevailing work culture within the civil service.

Providing a candid appraisal, the governor described his observations as a mix of “the good, the bad and the ugly.”

He, however, commended what he described as the “good people” within the system — disciplined civil servants who have consistently maintained professional integrity and adhered strictly to official work hours — noting that their commitment remains central to the administration’s development agenda.

Addressing workers, Soludo issued a warning to non-performing staff, stating that those who fail to align with the administration’s vision would be disengaged.

Speaking on the issue of absenteeism and lateness, he said, “Those who fail to meet time-keeping standards will be shown the way out. The era of lacklustre performance and entitlement in the civil service has come to an end.

“We are committed to building a civil service that is agile, effective and efficient. To achieve this, the administration is prioritising three key pillars of reform, including the deployment of technology through digital workflows to enhance speed and transparency.

“We are also strengthening supervision and evaluation by implementing rigorous performance tracking to ensure accountability at all levels, as well as sustaining infrastructural improvements to provide a conducive working environment.

“We have invested significantly in this place. The ongoing infrastructural upgrades must be reciprocated with a renewed sense of duty and productivity from the workforce,” he said.

According to him, the visit underscores the administration’s resolve to transform the state’s bureaucracy into a high-performing system capable of delivering effective governance.

He added that by integrating technological innovation with strict disciplinary oversight, the government aims to ensure that the civil service remains efficient in delivering the dividends of democracy to the people of Anambra State.