Anambra Govt. denies asking Civil Servants to show Their PVC

Fri, Feb 22, 2019 | By publisher


Politics

C.Don Adinuba, commissioner of Information and Public Enlightenment, Anambra State, strongly denies that civil servants were asked to show their permanent voters’ card


 

THE government of Anambra has denied asking civil servants in the state to show their permanent voters’ cards, PVCs, or vote for a particular candidate as condition for continued pnt of salaries.

C. Don Adinuba, Anambra State commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, said the government had never pressured any of its workers to state, where they would be voting or the records of their PVCs.

“You can find out from your friends, relatives and neighbours who are civil servants or teachers in the service of the state. The purported threat that the government demanded to have records of the PVCs are at best in the imagination of the authors of such illegal posts, currently circulating in the social media.

“This is a forgery and smear campaign by detractors of the state, bent on soiling the image of a progressive Anambra State,’’ the commissioner said.

Adinuba stressed that Governor Obiano has never uttered a negative word against any political party in public, yet they seem possessed by Obiano phobia.

The phobia, according to him, probably arose out of the crushing defeat that Obiano inflicted on other political opponents during the Nov. 17, 2017 Gubernatorial elections in the state.

Gov. Obiano scored 21 over 21 – winning in all 21 Local Governments of the state – the first time in the history of Anambra State. The social harmony currently existing in Anambra State has yet to be seen in any other state in Nigeria, he said.

According to him, one Harry Oranezi, a failed candidate, in a previous election in the state and still bitter over the manner he was defeated in an election in the state had been behind the offensive information.

“Government has a well-known procedure of communicating with the civil service and the general public. In the case of the civil service, government directs the head of service to issue circulars. But in this case, there have not been any such circulars to that effect.

Harry Udu, Anambra State Head of Service, HOS,  said he has never been directed to issue a circular of status of workers over PVCs. “I have never been contacted on this issue. I am not aware of such a directive,’’ the HOS said.

In an interview, Ifeanyi Okechukwu, Anambra State chairman, Trade Union Congress, TUC,  debunked the rumour making rounds that the governor gave any directive urging Anambra civil servants to submit their PVCs or to vote for any candidate.

Okechukwu, who also doubles as chairman Association Senior Civil Servants said he never received a text or circular on such an issue.

On his part, Anthony Nweke, acting director, Anambra State Information,said: “There is no truth in this. This has never happened in previous elections in the state.’’

He said: “the Government has a way of communicating to civil servants and such communications usually emanate from the Civil Service Commission or the office of the HOS in the form of a circular.

“As I am talking to you, no such communication has been received from either of the two offices. And, therefore, what is being alluded to is fake news”.

Stanley Onunkwo, acting chairman of the Information Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists,  said he never received any directive from his director to that effect, adding: “I have asked all my members to go and participate in the polls as they have done in the past.’’

– Feb. 22, 2019 @ 11:59 GMT |

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