All may not be totally well after all between the Delta State government and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) as trouble seems to be brewing over the new service rules and codes placed on its citizens by the administration of governor Sheriff Oborevwori.
While the Labour force and union in the state described the rules and codes as insensitive, financial unrealistic and draconic, the state government has perennially defended the policy, insisting it’s not new but rather re-emphasised and invoked inorder to maintain discipline and decency in the workforce.
Speaking with journalists in Asaba on Monday, September 15, 2025, NLC Chairman, Comrade Goodluck Ofobruku, said the circular issued by the Head of Service goes beyond civil service rules and places unnecessary burdens on workers.
“We are not comfortable with the dress code. We reject it in its entirety,” Ofobruku said. “The Civil Service Rule only says officers should not dress inappropriately. It does not dictate specific clothes.”
He criticized the directive that civil servants must wear suits from Monday to Thursday and senator suits or modern caftans on Fridays, arguing that many workers cannot afford them.
“Do they know how much it costs to sew one suit? How much is salary? If government wants us to dress this way, they should give us wardrobe allowance like they do for top officials,” he said.
But the state government has thrown its weight behind the policy and the ongoing civil service screening exercise, warning that it will not tolerate falsification of age, abuse of leave of absence, or indecent dressing.
Briefing journalists in Asaba, the Commissioner for Works (Rural Roads) and Public Information, Mr. Charles Aniagwu, said the screening was meant to sanitize the service and restore integrity.
