The Plight Of Secretaries In Nigeria

The importance of secretaries cannot be over
stated. Without them organisational goals or objectives cannot be achieved. In other words, no organisation can function without them.
The word secretary is derived from two Latin words, ‘secretum’ or ‘secretarius’ being the term for someone entrusted with secrets. The secretary is not someone who can read and write ordinarily, but someone with professional ethics in the area of secretaryship in the day-to-day administration of an establishment. A renowned economist, Robinson, once described a secretary as a secret keeper. He further asserted that a secretary is “an assistant to the executive, possessing the mastery of office skills and ability to assume responsibility without direct supervision, who displays initiative with good command of English Language.”
I agree with the renowned economist that secretaries are peculiar in an organisation. The secretary possesses the natural qualities of mind without which, communication within an organisation is impossible. Hence the secretary can be described as one who handles correspondence and manage routine and detail work for a superior.
The disposition of the secretary in an organisation is essential and should not be taken as a mere tool.
In a paper titled: “Secretarial Services In a Depressed Economy” presented at a seminar of the 2nd Annual Conference organised by the Association of University Secretarial Staff (ASUU) at the University of Calabar, in September 1989, Professor V. C. Uchendu, Director, Institute of Public Policy and Administration (IPPA), opined that people are biased on the technical use of the word ‘secretary.’ He asserted that people tend to forget that the registrar is the secretary of the university system. The statutory responsibility makes the registrar automatically secretary to Senate and Governing Council respectively.
Professor Uchendu further reiterated that it is not correct to regard the secretary as a mere tool of the organisation. The secretary, he continued, is an indispensable partner in any administration, an executive assistant whose mastery of technical skills, training, character and judgement, make him/her a decision-maker within the scope of his/her assigned authority.
Secretaries are highly valued, in other nations. But here in Nigeria, they are looked down upon. The secretary ought to serve as additional eye, protector, guidance, counselor, in all undertakings to satisfy the yearnings of the boss.
Invariably, the secretary is the best public relations administrator because of his/her dynamic disposition which goes far and wide within the environment and the general society. Without mincing words the secretary does variety of office duties. He stays longer in the office longer than others.
In other words, secretaries are independent and are well disposed to office ethics. Sometimes they make up for inefficient management such that such management is hardly exposed. In the midst of this, they are duly recognised.
A one-time military Head of State who handed over to former president Olusegun Obasanjo in 1999, General Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd) was touched with the plight of secretaries and gave a directive that all secretaries be elevated a level from their positions. The decision was backed with  a circular issued from the Establishment Office of the Head of Service of the Federation for effective implementation.
Soon after the directive, implementation became an issue. Some state governments failed to enforce the directive. Also, private firms were reluctant to implement it. The failed implementation of General Abubakar directive caused the embarkment of strike action by secretaries in the country. It was then their importance was felt.
It is sad that secretaries are unfairly treated in the country. Even till date, the average secretary in Nigeria suffers deprivation and poor remuneration. The question is when will secretaries be free from oppression? When will they be recognised as professionals in the same way other professionals are recognised  in the country?
For this reason, I call on all employers of labour to have a rethink in the way and manner secretaries are treated in their establishments.
Secretaries are like other workers. They seek satisfaction from their job or profession. They, like other professionals, will want to be accorded recognition by way of being given a special salary scale. They have to be motivated in order to improve on their productivity.

Ominyanwa is a public affairs analyst.

Goddy Ominyanwa