TheCable

There was a protest on Thursday at the headquarters of the federal ministry of works and housing in Abuja, after Dave Umahi, the minister, locked out some staff for coming late to work.

According to multiple reports, Umahi who got to the ministry’s complex ahead of some directors and staff in the morning, denied them access to their respective offices.

“The minister got to work and discovered that some directors and other staff had not reported to work so he locked them outside,” Kelechi Boms, a journalist, told TheCable.

Boms added that the workers were later granted access to the ministry but proceeded to lock the entry and exit points at the ministry in protest against the minister.

“They locked the gate so that nobody could come in and go out,” he said.

Video: Minister of Works, David Umahi, lock all staff and directors outside for coming late to work at the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing

This was one of the issue that led to the protest by the workers pic.twitter.com/gjqk38RJvG

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— Journalist KC (@kc_journalist) September 28, 2023

In a video shared by Leadership Newspapers on X, the aggrieved employees in large numbers, can be seen chanting “Umahi must go”, “solidarity forever”, citing far distances from work as the reasons for their late coming.

VIDEO: Protest As Works Minister Umahi Locks Out Workers Over Latenesshttps://t.co/XIfHyBbUfL

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The Minister of Works, Engr. Dave Umahi, on Thursday, locks out staff of his ministry over their late resumption to office duties, a development that prompted protest from the workers.… pic.twitter.com/wDEWQ7ogRO

— LEADERSHIP NEWS (@LeadershipNGA) September 28, 2023

The workers also reportedly accused Umahi of high-handedness, adding that he stopped engineers and directors from doing their work since he assumed office.

They also alleged that the minister has been violating public service rules since his appointment by bringing in consultants to run the affairs of the ministry.