By Tom Zaneni, Abuja

Hundreds of Benue State civil servants were locked out of their offices on Wednesday at the state secretariat in Makurdi on the orders of Governor Hyacinth Alia.
The governor’s action followed his unscheduled visit to the state secretariat where he found very few workers present at work.
Soon after Alia’s convoy arrived around 10:35 am to inspect ongoing renovation works, including the installation of new lights, security personnel locked the gates, leaving hundreds of civil servants outside.
Alia, who toured various ministries, said he was dismayed to discover that some commissioners and senior officials were also absent from work.
He decried the poor attitude to duties by the workers.
While on his way out of the secretariat, the governor addressed a crowd of workers, saying, “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.”
He further said, “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.”
END