Governor Chukwuma Soludo has suspended the distribution of “Christmas rice” to public workers under his administration in Anambra state.
This is in contrast to what was obtained during the administration of ex-governor Chief Willie Obiano.
The usual rice gift has now been replaced with a monetary gift of N15,000 each for all employees, including retirees.
The governor announced the change on Wednesday ahead of the 2022 Public Servants Day.
Soludo explained that the review was prompted by the inflationary trend, which had raised the price of 25 kg of rice from around N8,000 to N21,000 in the previous year.
According to the governor, the change will give workers options about what to buy according to their various needs.
Also, he announced a salary increment of 10 per cent for workers in the state effective next year to cushion the effect of the general inflation which is eroding the value of income.
He said Anambra could no longer afford the loss of 20 per cent of its public life to sit-at-home which, he said, is already becoming part of life in the Southeast.
He said his administration had successfully combated criminality which held eight Local Government Areas of the state under siege at the time he was inaugurated in March this year.
“Eight LGAs were totally taken over at the time we came, they said they were unknown gunmen, no, they are known gunmen born of women and from communities.
“Last week, one madman living in Finland said he was declaring sit-at-home, it was only in Anambra that it was not observed. By the time you return next year, we shall stop sit-at-home.
“We must get back to work, working five days a week, we must take back Anambra from the criminals. We can not build a prosperous Anambra when we work four days, when our children go to school four days, that is a 20 per cent loss in productivity,” he said.
NAN
