06/04/2024
First Validation/ Interactive meeting of Labor Leaders/Imo workforce: Matters arising
By Vivian Iwu
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The first validation and interactive meeting, convened by the Office the Head of Service, the Organized Labor of NLC, TUC and GANC was convened on Wednesday , April, 3, 2024 to validate the Financial implications of the Promotion Exercise approved by the Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma for all Workers, on the Career progress Data of all Staff, the activities , progress and challenges of the Imo Health Insurance Scheme into which all Imo Workers were enrolled.
The meeting held at the Training Center of the State Secretariat also witnessed the review and adoption of the new Public Service Rules from 2001 to 2024 as the entire Imo Workforce listened with rapt attention to the matters arising, which they weren’t aware of.
Believing that every Imo Worker must have graduated from one institution of learning or another, it became necessary for every Worker in the State to know the Documents used to guide them and enforce their duties, hence the review of the 2001 Document, which has grown weak and the Governor approved it’s renewal.
The Head of Service (HOS), Mr. Raymond Ucheoma used the opportunity to clarify certain issues, especially that the Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma’s headache is not payment of Imo workers because he is more than a human being to Imo Workers.
He itemized some of the things the Governor has done, and the things he promised to do for Imo workers, including; giving out two thousand, seven hundred and fifty seven Bags of Rice for all the Workers, with a promise of going to increase the number of Coastal Buses because some workers complained of not being able to enter the buses when they are filled up too quickly.
On Validation on the financial implication of the promotion the Governor gave, Mr. Ucheoma recalled that on March 6, 2024, the issue of cash back to the promotion was raised, and the Governor made it clear that the Workers are withholding him from paying the promotion cashback up.
He noted that it has been about four weeks since then, and the Permanent Secretaries, DA, DAGS, are yet to sign the Papers they would give to HOS, who urged the Workers not to form the habit of grumbling and complaining when they can make themselves clearer and anybody who listens to them would understand that they are not grumbling but have to be clarified.
“We are saying this because the small number that may try to grumble may sway all the good things we have been doing. The Governor on that day of flagging off Palliative that led us even up to Easter, threw it back at us. But the small number that are not receiving their salary or not receiving their correct pay will speak more than the majority. So we told those Officers that if any Officer complains we will hold them responsible, the Perm Sec of their Ministry, the DAGs and the DA of their Ministry. We also know that every Officer here is capable of calculating the amount of money he is entitled to.
“And that is why we have also brought Labor Leaders here. So that if you are getting the wrong steps, we have pasted the names in the various Ministries so that you check it there, if it is not correct, you complain there and we correct it.
“As at yesterday, I had given the Governor a Preliminary Report. We want you to tell us where we made mistakes. So that when we do the final Report, it would be accurate. Don’t let people confuse you but don’t get careless.
“If this is posted in your Ministry, it is your right to go and check whether it tallies with your Bank and Gen 35, so that you can rejoice with those who rejoice. “We are doing these things so that you can have the boldness of being properly treated. The names you are told to write here you have included the names of those who are not here. You think you are doing them good but you are only bringing down the quality of the Service.
“At this level, if you are present you should answer Present. If somebody needs an Excuse, you are not the Head of Service, the Perm Sec or the Director. You cannot give your colleague Permission. It’s wrong !
“It’s not favor, you don’t give what you don’t have. In all, if you know your statistics is not correct, let us correct it. The labor leaders have not betrayed you in terms of what other States are earning.”
The Head of Service stated, and corrected the Worker who claimed that she has been punctual to Office, yet did not receive March salary and her Children have nothing to eat.
According to the HOS, if Officers absconded without telling anyone, all the Superiors in that line would come under investigation.
“If a level 12 Officer absconded, every level 13 Officer, Heads of Departments, the Perm Secs, the DAGs, are all under investigation because it makes the work clumsy.
“The second one is absenteeism. The month of February has 21 working days and as a head of Department, you recorded 100% for every Officer, and the Attendance Book says otherwise, you would be penalized.
“The Service must be for those who are good. Some people who didn’t come to work up to 7%, you wrote 100% for them, you will be penalized. Absenteeism is checked month by Month.
“The Perm Sec should not pretend they didn’t know what happened to their subordinate. We are doing percentage attendance, you have the right to demand for your percentage at the end of the month. It is good to leave the service honorably.
“For Accountants giving us arithmetic failures, they are not helping matters, giving us varying numbers is delaying the process. “After today, we are going to go by batch payment, and if you don’t get yours, don’t blame us. Out of 98 MDAs, 46 have been sent out. Officers that ought to account and don’t account would be queried.”
The HOS who called for those that got their promotion from CAC and not gotten Gen 35, without getting a single response, stated, adding that they are going to publish the names of Workers with their Health Care Providers along side the number of Principal Officers of the Hospital, so that they get real because Imo State workforce is coming from the point of disillusionment.
He encouraged each worker to understand from the meeting that ignorance is not a virtue, as the Train, Time or the World does not stop because someone is ignorant.
Sensitizing the workers on Imo Health Insurance Program, Dr. Uchenna Ewelike, the Officer imported from Abuja by Governor Uzodimma, and asked to cater for Health of Imo Civil Servants, informed the workers that whatever Health needs they have, they should consult him!
He recalled that in December 2022, the Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma, employed him to implement the Health Insurance Program in the State.
“We started from zero, today we have One hundred and twenty six thousand workers that are keyed into the Program, which started since November 1, 2023 and there’s evidence till February 2024 where about 2000 Civil Servants in the State have utilized the Services, cutting across the 27 Local Government Areas of Imo State.
“Enrolment includes anybody who is captured at the Data Center, a b***r fide Civil Servant. It is the responsibility of Imo Health Insurance Agency to guarantee and sustain their Health.
“I have been in Health financing for about two decades, yet in all the States I have supported, this is the first State, the Governor pays for the Principal without any contribution, so it’s important to appreciate Good things happening.
“No Civil Servant has had any Payroll Deductions in the much we have done so far. In all the Ministries, Agencies and Parastatals, we have written to them to notify you, your Primary Provider, which is the Hospital where you first go to access Health Services.
“So if you are pregnant and require a C-section, we will get authorization, move you to the best Specialist in the State, after a successful outing, we will pay for it till the last Kobo. For all the Civil Servants in the State, the money paid to the Agency by the Governor of Imo State is enough to make you remain healthy and more productive.
“I am a Civil Servant like you, and I won’t deceive you. On Monday 25th of March, I presented my Report to the Head of Service and to the Governor. Having read the Report, the Governor called the AG and directed that the Health Insurance Scheme be renewed for another three months.
“So you don’t need to go to Babalawo, Chemist or Traditional Attendants, you have Hospitals assigned to you. Go to those Hospitals . If you are hypertensive, your routine drugs for anti hypertensive are covered. If you are diabetic, your routine drugs are covered. If you require surgical attention that is within our benefit package, we pay for it”.
Dr. Ewelike said, pointing out that the Agency had carried out sensitization at Ahiajoku Center but most workers still feign ignorance of the whole exercise.
“If you are a b***r fide Civil Servant in Imo State, your Health responsibility lies with the Imo State Insurance Agency and it is our duty to make sure you are healthy and fine. If you don’t utilize the Services, we return it back to the Governor!
“We have Centers that are accredited to the level of providing Eye Glasses for you. You need to read Memo from the Head of Service. You require Glasses we provide Glasses, you need ophthalmic Examination, we do it for you, you need Specialist Care, we have Specialist Centers we have accredited.
“In the last one year, we have about two hundred and thirteen thousand (213, 000) Cases we have treated. It calls for Celebration. It’s your duty to promote the State. If you don’t , Nobody will. Please go to your Primary Health Care Providers when you have the need because in the Federal Civil Service where I belong, you need an Exemption from your Primary Health Care provider for you to be expected from work. I don’t know if it doesn’t obtain at the State level.
“I had written to your Commissioners when they were in Office about all your Primary Health Care Providers. But we will still make it simple by making an Electronic Copies available to the Head of Service so that they share in different Platforms.
“We are negotiating with the NLC on how to include the Dependents because if you are protected and your family members are not protected you are still sick.
“Financial Risk Providers is the best thing that can happen to workers. It’s a way to pull workers out of poverty. No need to pay for Card, Present yourself, and you will be attended to. They have your name already. You pay only ten percent of the drugs, not Hospital Bills, your Hospital Bills are free!
“If your Drug is two thousand naira, you pay only two hundred naira. The least cost for Appendectomy anywhere in Nigeria is about one hundred thousand naira and any amount charged, we will pay all!”
Dr. Ewelike preached, adding that they developed something that is the first of its kind in the enter Nation, called “Referral Nexus”, which includes Civil Servants because they have been doing it for the Basic Health Provision Fund Program.
“If you are in a Primary Provider, and have Emergency, you can have Intervention in a Secondary Provider in 45 minutes, no matter the kind of Emergency!
“We have agreement with the Care Providers sealed by Lawyers that in case of Emergency, they will leave whatever they are doing to attend to you because we have paid them. The only thing we don’t cover is Ambulance Services but for whatever it takes from Primary to Secondary Health Care Providers, we will still pay!”
The Health Consultant Specialist stated preached.
However, speaking on Policy Issues, Mr. Uchenna Ibe, HOD, Mechanical Engineering Department, Ministry of Works, and the TUC Chairman, Imo State acknowledged that the welfare of Workers is their first charge, and thanked God that frayed nerves are calming down by now.
“Most times some insensitive Government play with out welfare and there’s nothing much you can do. But this Present Government has listening ear and we shall keep presenting our needs to him and he will keep attending to us, I am not praising the Government.
“There is a Directive for Preliminary Report to the Governor. If there’s a Ministry that has not compiled the list of promoted people, date of birth, date of retirement, and all the requirements, if you have not filled and submitted the forms, there’s problem! It would have been used to pay for March salary but we pleaded with the Head of Service that the time was short. We are using this time to harmonize everything.”
He said, acknowledging that some States take home more salaries than others, but the gathering is appreciating the Health Insurance Policy of Imo State Government, which is a beautiful thing.
“Government and workers both have faults. Thank God the salaries are coming, though it is not enough because the Economy is crashed.
“Let’s be hopeful because we keep discussing it with Government. Fuel Subsidy made Federal Government say something about Wage Award of #35, 000 and we are discussing with the State Government on what would be added to the salaries in the State. So many people whose names were written here did not attend the meeting”.
Mr. Uchenna Ibe stated, adding that on promotion they cried and it was granted, as some of them stayed in one grade level for more than ten years.
“It was frustrating. Promotion has processes and procedures and we asked the HOS and he got the Guidelines, which made the promotion reach everyone that deserved it. Those due for one, two or three promotions got them.
The TUC Chairman stated.
The NLC Chairman, Comrade Uche Chigaemezu Nwigwe took time to inform the workers that Salary payments in all the States are not the same.
“In the South East, Imo is not the least paid. Rivers State, Lagos State are better paid than Imo workers but Imo workers are better paid than Abia and Enugu workers. It is important to pass a verifiable Information.
“However , it is true that something needs to be done for workers to feel better. Yet, we are here to correct an impression and work as a team. We must get to where we are going.
“The workers in Imo State believe they are the least paid in Nigeria but it’s not so, yet the most important thing is for the alert to come in at the end of every month”.
Comrade Nwigwe stated, pointing out that the Labor Leaders in Imo State fought for the current Promotion to be properly implemented.
According to him, it is regrettable that as at the time they met the Governor for implementation of the Promotion cashback, starting from January, the Governor said he needed a comprehensive record of all those who have gotten promotion so that everybody will be keyed in at the same time as he wouldn’t want a situation where some people will get and others will not get.
He recalled that on March 5, 2024 they held the HOS in his Office until they got the Report of the implementation of the promotion, yet, up till now, some MDAs have not issued GEN 35 to their workers.
“We have been going from Ministry to Ministry begging all of us to ensure we do what we are supposed to do for our own benefit. I don’t see any reason why we would give two or three days for the report of the Promotion you submitted to CAC and you got approval to publish, you find it difficult to Publish .
“You are the ones holding the benefits and interests of workers in Imo State. The Labor have started work, please inform us, anyone that has not submitted their Report to the Head of Service, we will come and lock them up until they finish it. What we need is for every Worker to go home happy.
“On the Health Insurance we have understudied Anambra and seen that their Children are also benefiting from it, we are planning to implement that in Imo.
“In due cause we shall have a forum where all these issues would be discussed. It’s unfortunate that some Permanent Secretaries and DAGs are giving Excuses of “no paper”, “no light to work out the promotion” up till now! They are the ones holding the Process. Head of Service is not the problem but the Departments that refused to work them out!”
The NLC Chairman stated, pointing out that in all the MDAs, the promotion that was given has been posted in all the Offices so that nobody will complain, so that those who are not properly placed can make a formal Report to the Office, so that corrections can be done immediately.
He encouraged the Workers to check if they are properly placed or not so that if they are not properly placed, they can draw the attention of the Officers so that they correct it immediately.
However, reviewing the 2001 Imo State Public Service Rule, the Perm Sec, Imo State Ministry of Tourism, TUC and members of the Committee acknowledged that they have submitted the Report in 2023.
He disclosed that the HOS circulated the Draft Documents to Ministries and they have incorporated them, as all the Substantive Directors made contributions.
“We are working to harmonize the index so that the index would agree with the amendment so far. 2001 Edition of the Public Service Rules we are using is obsolete and most of the Public Servant have not joined then.
“The Proposals we are making now is to incorporate the use of IBT, the use of Visual Meetings, Paternity Leave, very strict conditions for Appointments in the Service because it was discovered that many people who are in the Civil Service has no business being in the Service and they are not enjoying it.
“The proposed Document is going to make the issue of Discipline a very serious affair and introducing Perm Sec directly as Officers to take up disciplinary actions in the Public service, not Head of Departments, which appeared there. There are compulsory training for Civil Servants and making induction training very important.”
He stated, adding that there’s also provision for Overseas training and training in Public Service Institution that will take the Imo State Public Service and Public Servants to be of the expected standard in this 21st Century.
Meanwhile, bearing testimonies to the being beneficiaries of the Imo Health Care insurance scheme, Noble Ikechukwu that works with the Water Resources, and registered under Imo State Internal Revenue Service, whose Health Provider is “More Health Specialist Clinic”, at Uratta testified that he had been there and at the end of the day, he paid only his percentage of the Drugs, which was one thousand two hundred naira.
Also, Ahaneme Joy from Imo Hospital Management Board whose Primary Health Care Provider is “Geoffrey Clinic,” testified that after getting attention from them, she got referral to “Silver Spring Hospital,” when she reported about Eye problem.
At the end of the day, the meeting was not only to pass vote of confidence on the Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma nor to thank him for all his love, care and commitment to Imo Workers but as a first Validation and Interactive meeting of Labor Leaders and Imo Workforce, there were Matters arising that requires attention of every Imo Worker.
