Reactions Trail Imo Govt’s Directive On Uniforms

Civil Servants in Imo State have kicked against the decision of the state government to compel them to wear uniform to work.

Some civil servants who spoke to newsmen in Owerri said the directive was undemocratic and against the rules governing the civil service.

One of the workers, Mr Chimaraoke Okoro, said the government was autocratic in its action.

“It is amazing. how can somebody under government work wear uniform. We are not students; government can only tell us to dress corporately but not to make it a uniform affair. Even banks don’t wear one particular colour of dress,” he said.

Governor Rochas Okorocha had recently mandated all workers to always wear black suits to work as part of the government’s restructuring policies.

The junior workers, he said, were to wear black suit on blue shirt and red tie while the senior workers were to go on black suits over white shirt with red tie.

A Senior Clerical Officer, Mrs. Chiinasa Elonu, noted that wearing suit in an office without an air-conditioner was worrisome.

She said though the policy made civil servants to look smart, it had made black suits expensive in the market and a drain on the salaries of the workers.

Elonu urged the government to support the workers by paying them dressing allowance.

Another civil servant, Mr Hygenius Ohiagu, said the government policy on uniform was undemocratic as civil servants were not consulted before the decision was taken.

“It is undemocratic to ask workers to go on uniform without consulting them; and differentiating junior workers from senior workers by uniform may have some psychological connotation,” he said.

Mr Samuel Amadi, another worker, however commended the government for introducing the uniform, saying it had made the workers appear simple and committed to duty.

“The uniform differentiates us from non-civil servants. The government wants us to wear it and we will wear it.

“Some people complained about it initially but now they are getting used to it. Government has promised to supplement financially for it; we are still waiting for them”, he said.

In his reaction to the workers disenchantment on the issue, the Head of Service, Mr Evans Uzokwe, explained that government must not necessarily consult with the workers before coming up with a policy, claiming that it was good for the state.

He said every government policy, whether good or bad, would still have opposition to it and urged all to comply with the directive which he said was meant to distinguish civil servants and non civil servants in their places of work.