NBA SPIDEL Financial Secretary, Barbara Onwubiko Esq Blasts Lethargy in Nigeria’s Public Service

Civil servants in Nigeria have come under sharp criticism following observations by Abuja-based lawyer and Financial Secretary of the NBA-SPIDEL, Barbara Tosan Onwubiko Esq, who took to Facebook on Thursday morning to highlight widespread absenteeism and lack of productivity in government offices.

According to Onwubiko, she visited a government hospital on 31st December 2025 only to find the main laboratory and most departments locked, despite public expectations that essential services would remain operational. She further recounted that on 7th January 2026, she visited a government parastatal and found almost no staff present, leaving her unable to complete her official business.

In her Facebook post, Onwubiko condemned what she described as the audacity of civil servants, noting that many routinely extend public holidays into “two or three weeks’ self-imposed leave” and that offices are often understaffed on Thursdays and Fridays. She stated that while demands for better salaries and working conditions are legitimate, they must be accompanied by a commitment to duty.

“These same workers go on indefinite strikes, demand all sorts from the government, yet they seem more focused on increased salaries rather than serving Nigerians,” Onwubiko wrote, adding that civil servants are a significant part of the country’s systemic problems.