Workers in the Rivers State Civil Service that occupy the
Podium Block of the state Secretariat Complex in Port Harcourt as well as
visitors to the block have lamented the poor state of the block.

The workers and the visitors lamented what they described as
“offensive Odour” that has been oozing out from the block for some time now
which has made people very uncomfortable in the place.

They complained that the kind of odour they perceive from
the rest rooms have made people uncomfortable to stay and do their business,
and that this has been the condition of the block for same time now.

Some of the workers who spoke to The Tide on the state of
the building said that many of the civil servants in podium block no longer
have a place for convenience, as the toiletries have became unusable.

They blamed the poor sanitary condition of the block on the
contractor handling the maintenance work on the complex, accusing of
incompetency in addressing the challenge of sanitation which has caused the
place to be highly polluted.

Few of the workers who spoke on the condition of anonymity
said that the contractor handling the maintenance in the block did not
undertake proper study of the block to ensure that workers are not put at
health risk, and that the maintenance work has been very sluggish in execution.

A visit to the block revealed that the odour from the
toilets has become so offensive that it takes strong will to remain in that
environment to work, as it appears that urine and water there can not be
evacuated.

Corlins Walter