By Our Reporter
The Rivers State Government has commenced the phased rehabilitation of the State Secretariat Complex as part of renewed efforts to improve working conditions, enhance service delivery, and reform the civil service.
The State Administrator, Vice Admiral (Rtd) Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas, announced yesterday at the initiative at the closing ceremony of a four-day Transformational Leadership Training Workshop organised in collaboration with the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies
The training, attended by Permanent Secretaries, Local Government Administrators, and Directors, focused on strengthening leadership capacity within the state bureaucracy.
Ibas, who personally inspected the Secretariat complex recently, described the working conditions as “sobering,” citing issues such as erratic power supply, non-functional elevators, poor sanitation, and inadequate office equipment.
“We cannot demand excellence from civil servants while ignoring the basics. The work environment must reflect the dignity and value of public service,” he said.
The rehabilitation will be carried out in phases to ensure minimal disruption to government operations. Ibas also announced plans to review civil service welfare policies to better motivate workers within available resources.
The Administrator urged local government administrators to replicate the leadership lessons from the training in their respective councils, and directed them to submit strategic development plans within two weeks.
“Conduct proper needs assessments and propose projects that will impact your communities directly. The Auditor-General for Local Governments will closely monitor implementation to ensure transparency,” he said.
Acting Head of Service, Dr. Iyingi Brown, described the workshop as a milestone, noting it was the first of its kind in the history of Rivers State’s civil service.
“This investment in leadership and reform will positively impact governance outcomes across the state,” she said.
