Okorocha reviews stance on agriculture policy, to recruit 3,000 workers

Apparently bowing to criticisms that trailed his recent directive asking civil servants in Imo State to work from Monday to Wednesday, while they devote Thursday and Friday to farming and Saturday for social engagements, Governor Rochas Okorocha at the weekend relaxed the order.

He stated that no worker in the state should be forced to embark on his “Back -to- land for Agriculture’ policy.

In one of the two statements issued in Owerri by his Chief Press Secretary, Sam Onwuemeodo, the Governor thanked those who complied, saying they would not regret their action.

In the other statement, he ordered the recruitment of 3,000 workers to replace those that were relieved from service.

Okorocha had announced August 1 for the policy take off, but surprisingly, workers shunned the order describing it as unconstitutional, and inconsistent with International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions.

“The governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, has directed that no force should be used on public servants to comply with the government’s new policy on agriculture, which allows the public servants to work from Mondays to Wednesdays and use Thursdays and Fridays to farm.

“The governor has reasoned that since the policy is a popular one and also in the overall interest of the public servants and indeed, the state, there is therefore no point using force to make them comply,” the statement read in part.

The aide added: “The governor directed the permanent secretaries to have departmental briefings daily between 7:30 and 8:00 a.m., stressing that a list of workers be published before 3,000 workers are employed.”