Kurmi Chairman Cracks Down on Absentee Workers, Threatens ‘No Work, No Pay’
The Chairman of Kurmi Local Government Area of Taraba State, Moses Maihankali, has ordered stricter enforcement of attendance among council workers, warning that employees who repeatedly stay away from their duty posts could face the “No Work, No Pay” rule.
The directive follows an inspection of departments at the Kurmi Local Government Secretariat, where the chairman reportedly discovered that some employees were absent from work.
Maihankali carried out the inspection alongside the 10 ward councillors and departmental directors of the council, signalling a tougher stance against absenteeism and poor workplace discipline.
Chairman Orders Attendance Crackdown
Following observations during the inspection, Maihankali directed Departmental Supervising Officers to intensify monitoring of workers.
Attendance records are expected to be properly maintained and submitted through the respective departmental directors.
The chairman insisted that employees receiving salaries from the local government must demonstrate commitment to their responsibilities.
His directive puts workers on notice that persistent absenteeism may no longer be overlooked.
The administration wants employees to be punctual, regularly present at their duty posts and productive during official working hours.
‘No Work, No Pay’
Maihankali warned that employees who fail to report for duty could face consequences under the “No Work, No Pay” principle.
The warning represents an attempt to tackle a problem capable of weakening service delivery at the local government level.
When workers are regularly absent, residents who visit government offices for essential services may encounter unnecessary delays or be forced to make repeated visits.
The chairman maintained that improving discipline within the workforce is necessary to ensure residents receive value from the local government administration.
Salary Arrears Put Workers Under Pressure
Maihankali also linked his demand for greater productivity to the state government’s intervention in outstanding salaries owed to local government workers.
According to the chairman, Governor Agbu Kefas approved the payment of five months’ salary arrears.
He argued that government’s efforts to address the outstanding payments should be reciprocated by workers through punctuality, dedication and increased productivity.
The message effectively places a responsibility on both sides.
While government is expected to meet its financial obligations to workers, employees are equally expected to report to work and perform the duties for which they are paid.
Directors Told to Monitor Staff
Departmental supervisors and directors will play a major role in implementing the directive.
Supervising officers have been instructed to monitor employees and maintain regular attendance records.
The move could make it easier for the council administration to identify habitual absenteeism rather than relying on occasional inspections.
Departmental directors reportedly welcomed the chairman’s intervention and pledged their support for measures aimed at improving attendance, discipline and productivity.
Effective implementation, however, will depend on whether monitoring is carried out consistently and fairly across departments.
Residents Expect Better Services
The ultimate impact of the crackdown will be determined by whether it improves services available to residents.
Local government offices provide important administrative and community-level services, making the availability of personnel essential.
A resident who visits an office should reasonably expect to find the officials responsible for providing the required service during working hours.
Persistent absenteeism can weaken public confidence and create frustration, particularly when people travel considerable distances to access government services.
Improving attendance could therefore have benefits beyond internal staff discipline.
Accountability Must Apply Fairly
While the “No Work, No Pay” warning sends a strong message, enforcement will need to be transparent.
Attendance rules should apply consistently to employees rather than being selectively enforced.
There may also be legitimate circumstances where workers are absent from their duty posts, including approved leave or authorised official assignments.
A reliable attendance system should therefore distinguish between authorised absence and workers simply refusing to report for duty.
Clear documentation could help ensure that disciplinary decisions are based on evidence.
From Salary Payment to Productivity
The payment of outstanding salaries provides an important backdrop to the chairman’s directive.
Workers naturally expect government to pay their salaries when due. Government, in return, expects employees to perform their responsibilities.
Maihankali is now seeking to connect those two obligations more directly.
His position is that settling salary arrears should be followed by stronger commitment from employees.
If successfully implemented, the approach could strengthen productivity within the secretariat and improve the council’s ability to serve communities.
Kurmi Workers Put on Notice
The latest directive marks a tougher approach to absenteeism within the Kurmi Local Government workforce.
Rather than limiting the response to verbal warnings, the administration is introducing closer attendance monitoring and threatening financial consequences for employees who fail to work.
For workers, the message is unmistakable: collecting a government salary must come with showing up and doing the job.
For residents, the bigger question is whether the crackdown will produce a more responsive local government system.
If stronger attendance translates into faster and better public services, the benefits will extend beyond the council secretariat to communities across Kurmi.
