Benue Governor Ortom declare Fridays work-free for agriculture

Benue State Government has again declared every Friday beginning from November 11 work-free.

The government said this was to enable civil servants commence harvest of their farm produce.

Recall that the Imo State government proposed similar policy but it was rejected by organized labour.

Benue said it will now enforce the policy it announced earlier in the year.

Its explanation then was that workers should use the last working day of the week for farming in the face of dwindling economy which made it difficult for the administration to pay salaries.

The latest decision was reached during the state executive meeting which was presided over by Governor Samuel Ortom.

A statement by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and ICT, Mr. Tahav Agerzua, said, “The state executive meeting approved that Friday every week be work-free days beginning from November 11, 2016 to end of January next year to enable civil servants harvest the produce in their farms.”

The statement added that the council, however, exempted some workers in education sector, maintaining that the school calendar should be allowed to run normally.