Imo State government has announced its plan to reduce working days and cut salaries of public workers while encouraging them to engage in private businesses.

Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo who announced this at Press Briefing stated that he is considering reducing the number of work days in the state from five to three, to enable the government cut salaries.

The Economic Confidential gathered that the idea behind the new business model of Governor Rochas is to afford the civil servants the opportunity to be more productive after office hours through engaging in farming, trading and other business endeavours.

He said the reduction of work days would enable workers to attend to other activities that would generate money to supplement their monthly salaries to take care of their families.

“I encourage Imo workers to find additional things to do to support their families because of the economic situation we are facing in Nigeria.

“We are considering to reduce the working days from five to three in Imo, so that workers will use the rest of the days to work and support their families’’, he said.

Mr. Okorocha, who was not specific on when it may commence, added that Imo government was equally planning to review workers’ salaries downward.
He said that in spite of the current payment of 70 percent of salaries to workers, the state still paid the highest salary scale among South-Eastern states of Abia, Anabmbra, Ebonyi and Enugu.

“Directors in these other South-Eastern states receive something a little above N90, 000 while in Imo they receive more than N100, 000.

“We intend to clear salary arrears up to July by next week. After that, we will consider downward review of salary to workers to be at par with other states of South-East,’’ he said.