The
last time I checked, the generality of the workers of Imo State – the Eastern
Heartland – had yet another great reason to grin, not just smile. Such expected
outlook is informed by the thunderous pronouncement recently made by the
state’s Executive Governor, Chief Rochas Okorocha.
It’s not anymore news that two weeks ago
during this year’s Workers’ Day celebration, precisely on Tuesday 1st
May, the number one citizen graciously announced to the delight of the civil
servants present at the occasion that they had been automatically promoted to
the next level, hence ought to henceforth start enjoying the financial benefits
enshrined in the new level.
In a bid to throw more light, he said, “This
promotion is not about step. You are not being promoted to the next step but to
the next grade level.” The clarification was intended to inform the targeted
beneficiaries that the latest development was not about Step one, two, three or
what have you, but an automatic promotion to the next Grade Level of the
respective workers irrespective of their jurisdictions or places of assignment.
The event, which took place at the
Heroes Square, Owerri, instantly metamorphosed into an arena meant to pop
Champagne as the workers were seen in their numbers celebrating and cheering up
the governor the very moment the unexpected announcement was made. Gov.
Okorocha who acknowledged that the civil servants had been very supportive,
patient and tolerant, equally mentioned that another promotion – perhaps
automatic too – might come up prior to his exit as the state’s governor.
It would be recalled that the governor had
earlier – on 19th April 2018 to be precise – announced to Imolites
that the Imo workers in their entirety would soonest begin to experience what
he described as a ‘new salary structure’. This signifies that the automatic
promotion came barely two weeks the said pledge was made.
It’s noteworthy that for about seven years now
since the present government came on board, the Imo workers hadn’t experienced
or enjoyed any form of promotion. This ugly scenario, which the governor also
noted on that fateful day, had unabated kept the workers deeply worried. In
some quarters, some of them had almost lost hope, saying they may not enjoy any
iota of promotion again till further notice.
One might say the pessimists in the
midst of the civil servants regained their optimism on that very day the
pronouncement regarding automatic promotion was dished out. Another school of
thought may say the promotion wasn’t enough to heal the wound incurred so far.
Whatever the case might be, the fact remains that the governor should be
appreciated for, at least, remembering as well as announcing that the workers
had been denied of their promotion for seven years now.
However, there are a few matters arising from
the automatic promotion. Understanding that these ebullient workers had been
deprived of their promotion for several years, such a pronouncement made by the
governor ought not to be seen as largesse, hence doesn’t in any way calls for
jubilation.
If ‘automatic promotion’ is a right thing to
do by any sitting governor, or a constitutional gesture, I would have suggested
that the Imo workers ought to be granted an automatic promotion to the next
three Grade Level, not just one as was pronounced by the number one citizen.
But as a constitution and rights activist, I see everything wrong with that
gesture called automatic promotion.
Why
I fault that gesture is because successive governments might decide not to
implement the promotion owing to the fact that the due process was not adhered
to. We are aware that government is a continuum, but a successive government
can decide to ignore any policy initiated by its predecessor if due process
wasn’t reverenced.
And then, if such reaction eventually
took place, the workers would stand to suffer it. Every promotion has a
procedure, thus must be strictly followed by any government so that cock and
bull stories wouldn’t be told in the future. Promotion should strictly be by
merit; not everyone deserves it.
Even if the automatic promotion must be
held, I’m strongly of the view that the governor was supposed to collaborate
with the lawmakers towards giving it a legal backing. But, I’m afraid, the
legislators may decline from doing so with an excuse that the Constitution or
extant law does not permit such legislation. Besides, any proposed promotion is
meant to be captured in the budget because it will definitely affect the
recurrent expenditure for the subsequent fiscal years. This shows that the
gesture in question calls for more fear.
Notwithstanding, I pray that the workers
would enjoy the entitlements accruable to the automatic promotion as it lasts.
Hence, I enjoin the governor to mandate the state’s Accountant General to
ensure that such a gesture is duly implemented without much ado. This would
enable the workers enjoy the first batch of the ‘largesse’ in the current month
being May.
On
the other hand, there’s an ongoing speculation from the government’s axis that
what the governor promised the workers was automatic promotion to the next
step, not next level. Against this backdrop, the governor should in his
capacity, through his good offices address the anomaly.
If such trending issue isn’t addressed
headlong, it would portray a bad image for the Rescue Mission Administration.
The people can’t be publicly informed on a certain thing and someone would from
the window state something totally different from what was initially tendered.
As
I urge His Excellency to ensure that the automatic promotion is thoroughly
implemented, I equally plead with him to conduct an exercise that would ensure
a normal and standard promotion of the overall workers so that apt
documentation would be made thereof. This would make the amiable workers not to
exercise any fear of the unknown. What is worth doing is worth doing well.
They truly deserve a sigh of relieve at such a
critical time like this, hence ought to be given every support that would
warrant such feeling. My concern is to ensure that this smile being worn by
them wouldn’t be tremulous in the long run. Think about it!
Comrade Fred Nwaozor
National Coordinator, Right Thinkers Movement
_________________________________
frednwaozor@gmail.com
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