Benue State Governor Rev Fr Hyacinth Alia locked out hundreds of workers and some commissioners from the state secretariat on Wednesday, January 22.
The governor, who regularly conducts unscheduled visits, berated workers at the secretariat for their lack of punctuality.
Governor Alia’s convoy had arrived at the secretariat at around 10:35 am. Due to the convoy of the governor, workers and commissioners who arrived for work later were locked out.
The governor then toured the facilities, expressing his dismay at the absence of several high-ranking officials.
Speaking to the locked-out civil servants, Governor Alia said:
“The work I do is not for me but for those who don’t know that I’m the governor and those who will see me and not even recognise me. I’m appealing to you because I have a quick way of getting your names and firing you as I have the powers to do so. But I am speaking to you as a priest and not as governor and telling you the dangers in what you are doing.
“It is not about me. Who is government? All of you here are the government. Even in the family, somebody governs the home and there are rules. And in every government there are rules. I’m speaking to you because I do not want you to be doomed.
“See what you can do to help, if not yourselves, those people you are caring for and those behind you because they are the ones to take the heat of the circle you have created.”