The Federal Ministry of Works has said its minister, David Umahi, was neither locked up in his office nor denied access, contrary to speculations on some media platforms.
The ministry explained that as part of the minister’s efforts to ensure that the workers exhibit discipline in their daily activities, he had directed that work should henceforth start at 9 a.m from Mondays to Fridays for all categories of workers while the closing hour is 4 p.m.
It was reported that some ministry officials protested the minister’s order locking the entrance to the ministry.
It was learnt that Umahi gave the order to lock the entrance gate to the ministry yesterday to know workers who reported late for work.
The ministry’s workers complained that although the action of the minister was not totally wrong, they said there was no prior notice before the action was taken.
A ministry official, who spoke in confidence with our correspondent, explained that aside from the high cost of transportation, he and many other workers living in far places from the Federal secretariat, experienced delays.
Some of the places they stay, according to him, are: Keffi, Kwali, Bwari, Kaduna road, Gwagwalada, among others.
It was gathered that in the effort to avoid a misunderstanding of his action, Umahi addressed the workers and apologised to them.
The minister promised to improve their welfare and provide more staff buses, particularly as most workers had complained about the high cost of transportation, besides travelling long distances from their places of residence to their offices.
A statement yesterday by the Director of Press and Public Relations Unit in the ministry, Lere-Adams Blessing, said the ministry’s union leader, Mr. Williams Kuti, held a meeting with the minister, the permanent secretary and top government officials where he acknowledged that the minister had started well by identifying the needs of Nigerians.
He added that in the quest for good and durable roads and bridges, the minister had inspected most of the roads across the country.
In his address, Umahi emphasised the need for unity in the efforts to rescue Nigeria from collapse.
