Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State on Monday announced sack of more than 1,000 aides for non-performance.

Those affected include technical assistants (TAs), senior technical assistants (STAs) and executive assistants (EAs) to the governor.

Umahi disclosed this on Monday during the swearing-in of three caretaker chairmen of Ikwo, Afikpo North and Ivo LGAs and the coordinator of Ohaozara Development Centre, at Ecumenical Centre, Abakaliki.

He said the dissolution would take effect from August 1, 2020.

The governor, who expressed disappointment at the poor performances of the appointees, said: “It is time to work.”

“I have no business with anybody who has an appointment and doesn’t want to work,” said Umahi.

“Let me announce my disappointment at the technical assistants, senior technical assistants and executive assistants. We have over 1,000 of them. Yet, my deputy and myself go out of our way in this Covid-19. We have over 360 liaison officers. We have a lot of management committee members.

“I don’t know where else you will get a position and go on sleeping and be waiting for an alert (salary). It can’t happen under me. By 1st of August, all Technical Assistants (TA), Senior Technical Assistants (STAs) and Executive Assistants (EAs) are dissolved,” he said.

The governor said there would be a fresh round of appointments into the positions.

He said the dissolved appointees would be given the opportunity to reapply “if they meet certain criteria.”

“One of the criteria is that they must be ready to show their farms and what they achieved in their first appointment.

“If you are one of them and you want your job back, you will be given a form to fill and a Ministry or Department must endorse you. When they endorse you, we hold that Ministry or Department responsible for you.

“The appointment we make is a source of social security, source of empowerment and source of bringing young men and women to learn the act of governance.

“And if you are reapplying and if you have no agricultural farm, then, don’t apply. You must show me where you are farming because we are doing everything possible to turn the minds of our people from appointment position to business minds. That is the only way to go.

“So, if you are reapplying, one, you must tell us what you did before; two, show us where your farm is and we will ‘google’ it, to make sure you are not lying; and three, you must be sponsored by commissioners, SAs, SSAs, boards and commissions,” he said.

PT