Dozens of state government secretariats are suffering decades of maintenance problems despite the huge funds spent for their regular facelift, our correspondents report.
The secretariat complexes house state government ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) where official government activities take place but facilities at these buildings are deteriorating thereby toughening working conditions for civil servants.
Our correspondents visited some of the states’ secretariats and found that while some are quartered in rented buildings others own their permanent structures but facilities at new or old secretariats built by successive governments in some states are decaying.
In Abuja, the fate of the Old Federal Secretariats located at the Garki district contrasts with its counterparts in the states.
Most of the federal ministries used the old secretariat in the past before the construction of new complex in central area.
Although the old secretariat’s building looks to be well maintained it needs more work to be done as some statutory ministries which could generates foreign investment and trade still occupy the structure.
Daily Trust also observed that the main entrance to the secretariat building is already becoming an eye sore as its fence has been defaced by posters.
Also, the entrance to the secretariats has been taken over by taxi drivers, traders and all sorts of commercial transactions.
However, the Abuja Metropolitan Management Council and the Department of Development Control is said to be poised to take action.
Checks showed that the magnificent secretariat complex in Rivers State is in a deplorable condition.
Our correspondent reports that the entire secretariat complex has been in darkness for the past six months thereby making it difficult for all the elevators to work.
Constructed in the 70s by the Alfred D. Spiff-led military administration, the complex has not undergone any major renovation since then, a civil servant in one of the ministries told our reporter.
“The secretariat is old and deteriorating. During Dr. Peter Odili’s administration, efforts were made to renovate part of the complex and nothing has been done in the complex since then,” he said.
Another civil servant who simply gave his name as Michael said, “An edifice like this should undergo renovation from time to time.”
In Ekiti State, our correspondent reports that maintenance of infrastructure in the state’s secretariat hardly gets attention from the state government.
A visit to the secretariat showed fading structures. The paintings of the first four blocks built by the administration of Otunba Niyi Adebayo between 1999 and 2003 have faded away thereby reducing the aesthetic value of the building.
Some furniture and other accessories in the complex are gradually depreciating.
Poor landscaping had subjected the state secretariat to gully erosion apart from the menace of overcrowding of staff in some offices. But the Commissioner for Information, Mr. Lanre Ogunsuyi assured that the government was carrying out major and radical renovations in the state secretariat.
“Yes, very soon, you will see that we will turn around the state secretariat…The governor has approved perimeter fencing of the state secretariat and that is where the renovation will starts from,” he said.
In Kogi, two major secretariats, the old and the new complexes, serve as offices for civil servants in the state.
Checks by Daily Trust indicates that the old state secretariat built in 1993 is fast ageing and wearing away without much attention given to its maintenance.
Some parts of the structure are developing cracks just as the paintings on the building are fading off thus depriving it of the needed aesthetic.
Further checks revealed that most of the toilet facilities were dysfunctional due to non-availability of water.
It was observed that a number of such toilets were under lock making some staff go to the nearby bush to ease themselves whenever they are pressed. Workers urinate outside due to challenges with the toilet facilities in their offices.
It was also observed that furniture and fittings in some of the offices are in deplorable condition begging for attention.
Our correspondent noticed that electricity supply to the offices remain a big challenge as most of them run on generator with the attendant noise and environmental pollution.
However, the new secretariat complex still looks good with appealing aesthetics and the facilities inside the offices in better condition compared to the old secretariat.
But our correspondent observed that there are still issues with the toilets especially non availability of water while electricity supply remains a big challenge.
This is despite the billions of naira budgeted for maintenance of office buildings and procurement of furniture as well as fittings over the years.
In Katsina, our correspondent found that since it’s inauguration on 9th May 2005 by former president Olusegun Obansajo, Katsina State secretariat has never had any face lift or general renovation as it’s structures and facilities are in deplorable conditions.
Investigations reveal that staff avoid some of the toilets due to their deplorable condition.
It was observed that there is poor power and water supply across the secretariat with each office relying on generators whose noise make work uncomfortable.
Water is fetched in buckets to toilets of top personnel and few others while majority resort to bush to ease themselves.
The major parts of the ceilings are torn off and waste is disposed indiscriminately, a situation that has created several waste dumps around the complex.
In Benue, our correspondent reports that the structure housing the Benue State civil service secretariat in Makurdi requires renovation to enable the building wear a new look.
The state-of-the-art secretariat was built over 30 years ago.
Built by the late Governor Aper Aku administration between 1979 and 1983, the structure’s architectural design, however, remains solid and still stands modern trends.
In Edo, the state secretariat remains untidy due to lack of maintenance.
Made up four 8-storey building including an uncompleted one, our correspondent gathered that the secretariat had not received a major facelift or renovation in 40 year of its existence.
“The secretariat was built during the regime of Dr. Samuel Ogbemudia then military administrator. As you can see, the secretariat is unkempt, the buildings are still the way they are since the place was commissioned over 40 years ago,” a staff of one of the ministries said.
He said successive governments had not paid much attention to the secretariat leaving it untidy.
Our correspondent who visited the secretariat observed that some of the windows of the high-rise building have fallen off without being replaced.
However, it was gathered that the state governor Godwin Obaseki, had commenced renovation of the secretariat beginning with the civil service block, and the parameter fence which is now almost completed.
It was observed that work has also commenced in block D of the secretariat which has been abandoned over 40 years ago.
