COVID-19: Civil Servants Shun CRSG’s Resumption Order

Senior civil servants in the employ of Cross River State Government have shunned Governor Ben Ayade’s directive of getting back to work.
Ayade in a press release ref: GO/PRESS/012/VOL.I/ 179, signed by the Special Adviser, Media and Publicity to the Governor, Christian Ita had directed all senior civil servants on Grade Level 10 and above to resume work on Tuesday, April 14.
But TheTide investigation reveals that majority of the workers in the state employment were yet to resume work after 72 hours the governor directed them to do so.
The workers were asked to proceed on two weeks holidays following the COVID-19 pandemic.
Our correspondent, who went round various government offices including ministries and parastatals last week, observed that some of the workers were yet to report on duty.
At the old and new secretariats as well as other ministries, few workers were seen at their respective offices as some of them said they cannot risk their lives by coming to work.
Speaking, a senior civil servant, who refused to give his name said, “It would have been better for government to allow this coronavirus to leave before asking civil servants to resume. We are scared of our lives and that of our families.
“When one comes out for work, we cannot stop meeting other people and these are the people we do not know their health status as far as COVID-19 is concern. We may also carry items that are infected with COVID-19 while working.
“All the offices need to be fumigated before we resume normal work.
“You cannot ask workers to resume work after offices were shut down for some weeks. These offices need treatment too,” he stated.
Another worker who appeared very casual said, “Do you think that with this COVID-19, I can come and sit there (pointing at his ministry) and work? I came to see how things are but not to resume work.
“Let government do the needful by fumigating all the offices. Governor Ayade had announced that N500million was set aside for curbing of COVID-19 as well as millions of other donations that came in, let government utilise these money to protect the lives of its citizens.
“There are two things, announcing what you intend to do and effectively utilising the money for the purpose it was meant for. We the senior civil servants and the low cadre are watching to see what the governor would do with these money.

Friday Nwagbara, Calabar