New day for civil servants as Osinbajo inaugurates N20b secretariat in Delta

ALPHONSUS AGBORH chronicles a dream come true over the multi million naira state secretariat in Asaba where a new day has dawned for civil servants in Delta.

There it stands like a colossus with over 700 office spaces adorning the skyline of Asaba and distinctly posing as the tallest building, in the Delta state capital.

The new magnificent edifice of the state secretariat along Mariam Babangida way is named after the state’s oldest living and renowned professor of Medicine and traditional ruler of Asaba, Obi Chike Edozien, which, however, turned out to be the star project of the present administration led by Dr Ifeanyi Okowa.

Its inauguration by vice-president, Yemi Osinbajo recently was greeted with rousing fanfare, civil servants, most of whom have for decades worked in not-too-condusive office spaces, women groups, traditional rulers, clerics, among others, came in large numbers to be witnesses to the history that was made.

Construction of the building by a Chinese firm started in 2017 and cost the state N17 billion. Furnishing of the complex is said to have gulped the sum of N1.7billion, while computer networking took N800million.

Sandwiched between the two wings of the old Felix Olorogun Secretariat, the sprawling office complex occupies a total floor space of 45,000 square metres and was designed around five clusters and each cluster around a courtyard to allow for plenty of natural light and ventilation into the offices.

As it is, all the 27 ministries including those that are operating in the old wings and others that are in various locations have already started moving into the building which is interconnected through a system of voice and data networks.

There are nine seminar/conference rooms, a training room, clinic, crèche, banking hall and three restaurants in the building, while the car park has the capacity to accommodate up to 1,000 cars.

Electricity supply to the facility as with other government buildings is powered by the state owned 8.5 megawatts Asaba Independent Power Plant which was also commissioned by Osinbajo to ensure 24 hours electricity supply.

With the ministries in one central location, the state government is already saving hundreds of millions of naira spent annually on rent.

Also, coordination and synergy among MDAs would be enhanced, leading to higher morale, better time management, efficiency, and greater productivity.

No doubt, the structure has altered the air space of the core axis of modern Asaba leaving the foot prints of the facilitator,DrOkowa in the sand of time.

At the inauguration of the building, Okowa was able to beat his chest and testify to how the dream became reality true saying: “it is a new day for civil servants in the state.”

He added that: “I stand here today, feeling very proud of this legacy project. Indeed, I am filled with a great sense of joy, satisfaction, fulfilment, and triumph. It was an arduous journey from the time construction commenced on November 27, 2017, to this momentous occasion.

“As you would expect, constructing an edifice like this would task the ingenuity, resources and patience of any government in the times we live in.

“It was quite demanding and exerting, and there were times we were tempted to throw up our hands in despair, and even question the wisdom for embarking on a project of this magnitude.

“The turbulence that has plagued the economy since 2017 was worsened with the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, causing major financial disruptions during the construction process.

“However, we persevered and weathered the storm fully persuaded of the huge benefits accruable to the state once the structure was completed.

“It is in recognition of his (Asagba of Asaba) accomplishments in the medical profession and his disposition to peace building and peaceful coexistence among the different ethnic nationalities of the state that we decided to name this secretariat in his honour.”

The vice-president in his remarks, commended Governor Okowa for the execution of the landmark project, hoping that “this place will be a symbol of unity and distinction.”

According to him, despite dwindling revenue receipt and severe resource constraints across all levels of government, the governor was able to provide funding for the project.

“Also your recognition of the critical role of the public sector is notable, whether we are talking about a need for a more internally generated revenue and greater tax efficiency, compensation for resource deficit or the management of the public health crisis such as the pandemic or even the drive for a more IGR, it is the capacity of the public sector that is invariably an issue.

“Public servants require an environment that brings out the best in them, and this secretariat complex would provide such an environment. The completion of the complex is another demonstration of what Okowa has shown over the years that with visionary leadership a state government can do incredible things indeed,” he said.

As the workers are settling down inan environment where almost everything is new, it is expected that they would be motivated to put in their best while striving to keep the facility in excellent condition always.

The narrative of poor maintenance culture that has bedeviled the civil service must give way to a sense of ownership, complemented by decency and responsibility.

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