The Rivers State Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd), has disclosed plans to begin the rehabilitation of the State Secretariat.
According to Ibas, the decision for the rehabilitation followed his recent visit to the State Secretariat, which he said is in a sorry state, including the absence of functional elevators, poor power supply, and the lack of working tools.
Ibas made the promise at the end of a four-day Transformational Leadership Workshop organized in collaboration with the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, held in Port Harcourt.
He stated, “During a recent inspection of the State Secretariat, I deliberately took the long walk to see firsthand conditions under which our officers work. From erratic power supply, non-functional elevators, unsanitary conditions to the lack of work tools.
“It was a suffering experience. It’s clear that we cannot demand excellence from our workforce while neglecting the very basics.
“To this end, I’m pleased to inform you that we are working towards the phased rehabilitation of the State Secretariat and other public infrastructure. We are also reviewing other aspects of service welfare.”
Ibas also charged the Administrators of the Local Government Areas to conduct detailed NEEDS assessments in their respective councils and submit strategic plans for high-impact projects within two weeks.
He added,.”I therefore charge you all to go back to your various Local Government Areas and draw up strategic plans for targeted high-impact projects and initiatives that are based on the specific needs of the communities you serve and send to me within two weeks from today for consideration and approval.
“Furthermore, the Auditor General, Local Governments, will be fully empowered to monitor closely the application of the resources that are being remitted to various Local Government Councils.
“The people of Rivers State must get value for every Kobo provided.”
In her remarks, the Acting Head of Service, Dr. Iyingi Brown, described the training as historic and the first of its kind for the State civil servants and expressed confidence that the initiative would yield measurable improvements in service delivery.
“This investment in leadership development will reflect in the quality of governance and public administration across the state,” she said.
