Tension was palpable at the Federal Ministry of Works on Thursday, as civil servants demonstrated their displeasure over being locked out of the ministry building for coming in late to work.

The protest was sparked when the Minister, Dave Umahi, barred over 300 staff and directors who arrived late from entering the building for four hours.

When the gates were eventually opened, the aggrieved workers, who belonged to both the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Housing, refused to enter the building and staged an impromptu protest, blocking the entrance gates.