Enugu Explains New Secretariat Project

The Enugu State Government has restated its defence on the
its decision to construct a new workers’ secretariat insisting that it was
imperative to provide a very conducive work environment for public workers in
the state in order to facilitate improved service delivery and productivity.

The state Head of Service, Mr. Dennis Eze, stated this while
speaking to newsmen on what informed the state government decision to demolish
the old secretariat buildings to build a modern complex.

According to him, the construction of the new Secretariat
complex situated on 6.7 hectares of land also became very necessary since the
structures at the old site were dilapidated with leaking roofs and very poor
public conveniences.

The Head of Service explained that before embarking on the
new complex, the performance implementation arm of government took a holistic
review of the project and discovered that the old buildings could no longer be
effectively maintained and that the cost of maintaining one building there
could build two new ones with modern facilities.

He further stated that apart from approval by the State
Executive Council, the labour unions and other stakeholders also saw the need
for a modern secretariat complex for public servants in the state.

Mr. Eze maintained that the new secretariat complex would
help to solve the present problem of office accommodation facing some
ministries, departments and agencies in the state as it would also be designed
to make provision for the installation of modern day office equipment for the
workers.

He, therefore, appealed to workers in the state to bear the
temporal inconveniences arising from the relocation exercise as the state
government embarked on the N13 billion new secretariat complex under
construction to provide a very conducive work environment for public workers in
the state, for improved service delivery.

Also in his contribution, the state Commissioner for Work,
Mr. Goddy Madueke said that new secretariat is a -one – stop complex consisting
of thirteen complexes of four-storey building each to house all the ministries
department and agencies of government in the state.

Mr. Madueke explained that the building of the new modern
secretariat complex became very necessary since it would reduce the man hour
being wasted from one distance ministry, department or agencies to the other.

The commissioner stated that the state- of- the- art
secretariat complex will be completed within two years with modern building
materials that are not harmful to the health of the people.

He explained that the demolition of the old secretariat
would affect the central area, adding that the two old buildings housing the
Ministry of Transport and Ministry of Establishment / Education would be
preserved for historic purposes.

On why the new complex is not relocated to a virgin area
like Ugwgea Nike Emene, the commissioner explained that it would cost government
more because of the construction of new layout with all the necessary
infrastructure.

He said that apart from the above reason, those locations
are not central and would, therefore, not be very accessible for workers unlike
the present location.