Mrs Iwouno gave the warning in Awka when the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists paid a courtesy visit to her office in Awka.
The Anambra Head of Service (HoS), Ngozi Iwouno, on Friday, warned workers in the state public service against age falsification and other forms of malpractice.
She urged the workers to shun such unpatriotic acts that negatively affect the progress of the civil service and to embrace practices that enhance service delivery.
“We have workers who submitted unverifiable credentials in the course of employment and those who make alterations on their credentials.
“There are others who lied on oath over their ages, and when age takes toll on them, they lose the agility to ensure optimal performance,” the HoS said.
She urged female journalists and other media practitioners to expose such acts as the watchdogs of society, and also cautioned against unverified reports.
“You should uphold the ethics of journalism and prioritise factual reportage. Unverified reports can damage one’s reputation, misrepresent the government and mislead the public, among other grievous consequences,” she said.
Mrs Iwouno said the Anambra State Government was doing everything possible to enhance workers’ lives through the approval of attractive welfare packages, among other incentives.
She, however, urged the workers to be diligent in attending to their duties.
“Workers as the engine room of government should shun truancy but abide by civil service ethics.
“There was a situation where Governor Charles Soludo paid an unscheduled visit to ministries and found many civil servants absent from their offices around 10 a.m.,” she said.
The Chairperson of NAWOJ in Anambra, Tochukwu Ifejirika, congratulated the HoS on her appointment and thanked the governor for giving women opportunities in leadership.
Mrs Ifejirika appealed to the HoS to look into workers’ welfare to ensure optimal service delivery.
“We seek your permission for our members in the civil service to attend the association’s activities during the annual International Women’s Day,” she said.
Monica Okechukwu, a member of the association, appealed to the HoS to look into the non-payment of gratuity to retirees of the Anambra Broadcasting Service since 2017.
(NAN)
