Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha Introduces a Three Day Work Week to Cut Down Wage Bill

The Imo State Government has introduced a policy tagged: ‘Back-to-Farm’ to enable the state engage and invest heavily in agriculture for self-sustenance since the state can no longer depend on monthly allocation for survival.

According to This Day, the state Governor, Chief Rochas Okorocha, disclosed this when traditional rulers from the state operating under the aegis of Royal Fathers in Agriculture paid him a courtesy call at the Government House in Owerri.

He said the state executive council had given approval to the new policy.

Against the backdrop of the ‘Back to Land for Agriculture’ programme, the governor directed that public servants in the state would now work from Mondays to Wednesdays, and use Thursdays and Fridays for agriculture (farming) while Saturdays can be used for ceremonies. And the directive takes effect from August 1, 2016.

However, the governor exempted public servants on essential duties like the teachers, nurses, doctors and those involved in Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) drive. Political appointees are also exempted from the three-days working periods.

The governor added: “We shall try this programme for the period of one year, starting from August 1, 2016, and hopefully, this will help. Let me make this emphasis before it is misconstrued or misrepresented, that this does not in any way affect the salaries of the workers.

“Workers will get their full salaries as been the practice. So the policy does not mean that there will be a cut in salary rather, let us now find a way for our workers to supplement their salaries.”

Okorocha continued: “For this reason, the issue of annual leave and casual leave is hereby cancelled. Resumption time for work has changed from 8a.m. to 7.30a.m and ends by 4p.m. Any worker not found on his or her seat between 7.30a.m and 4p.m. on the days concerned will be summarily dismissed.”