The Kwara State Head of Service, Mrs Susan Oluwole, has vowed to henceforth apply stiff penalty against any government worker found wanting in their line of duty.

Enraged by the poor turnout of staff during her routine visit to ministries, departments, and agencies in the state capital on Thursday, Oluwole warned that the government would not condone dereliction of duty.

She, therefore, directed that all heads of ministries, departments, and agencies in the state service should immediately open attendance registers for their staff.

According to a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Head of Service, Muritala Atoyebi, Oluwole decried the nonchalant attitude of some workers to duty despite the government's efforts and commitment to providing a conducive working environment and improved welfare package for civil servants.

According to the statement, the HoS was astonished when, at her visit to the state Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board by 9am, she sighted only a few staff members that had resumed work.

“We can't continue like this. We are not going to allow this to continue. There are rules guiding the service and they must be obeyed,” she said.

Oluwole also queried the justification for the continued clamour for salary increases by the civil servants when the workers did not show dedication to duty.

The Executive Secretary of the state Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board, Alhaji Abdulsalam Abdulkadir, lamented the Herculean task of checking absenteeism and lateness by the staff of the board.

He pleaded with Oluwole to take prompt action to remedy the anomaly, noting that the problem had adversely affected service delivery.