Nigeria’s government locked out hundreds of workers who showed up late in the capital on Tuesday as part of efforts to instil discipline among notoriously nonchalant civil servants.
Doors were locked at 8:30 am — the official, if widely ignored, start time for federal government workers — so managers could make a list of those who failed to turn up on time, said Tope Ajakaiye, a civil service spokesperson.
“It is a continuous measure in an attempt to bring sanity back to the civil service,” Ajakaiye said, adding two other lockouts occurred earlier this month. Doors reopened at about 10am.
Late arrivals will eventually be sanctioned, he said, though he declined to say what the penalties would be.
While government workers are often criticised for being lackadaisical, many also live far from the centre of the capital, Abuja, because they cannot afford the expensive rental prices within the city limits. — AFP