Benue State Governor, Rev Fr Hyacinth Alia, on Wednesday locked out several civil servants at the state secretariat for coming late to office.
The governor took the action during an unscheduled visit to the state secretariat in Makurdi.
Alia visited the secretariat at about 10:35 am to inspect ongoing renovation works, including the installation of new lights, when security personnel attached to his convoy locked the gates which prevented several civil servants to access their offices.
He toured several ministries at the secretariat and expressed unhappiness about truancy as commissioners and other senior officials were absent from work.
Alia addressed a section of civil servants and expressed his concerns about their poor attitude to their duties.
He said, “With what you are doing, you are creating a vicious circle for your families. You cannot get money and be uplifted because you are cheats and because of the effect of what you are doing.
“The work I do is not for me, but for those who don’t know that I am the governor and those who will see me and not recognise me.
“I’m appealing to you because I have a quick way of getting your names and firing you as I have the power to do so. I am speaking to you as a priest and not as governor and telling you the dangers of 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 am not frustrated but I do not want you to be doomed.
“See what you can do if not for yourselves but for the people you are caring for and are behind you because they are the ones to take the heat.”