Akwa Ibom State Secretariat named after Idongesit Nkanga was built in the administration of Wing Commander Idongesit Nkanga (now retired Air Commodore) – September 1990 to January 1992 during military regime of retired General Ibrahim Babangida.
The secretariat is the permanent administrative office of the Akwa Ibom State Government where almost all state agencies and parastatals are quartered. It is one of the most important places in the state.
Lately, there have been reports of the Udom Emmanuel’s government giving the Idongesit Nkanga’s secretariat (structure) a befitting facelift by repainting the structure. While, I applaud the government for its thoughtfulness towards this state structure, for me, of paramount important, for now, is the welfare condition of those occupying the secretariat structure, i.e; the state civil servants.
Arguably, civil servants under the Udom Emmanuel’s administration are not any better and are not well taken care of, compared to their contemporaries in the Niger Delta region or south-south states, in spite of high monthly federal allocations.
However, one is tempted to join well meaning Nigerians to think that it is a misplaced priority or ill-advised, for Governor Emmanuel to embark on any beatification project such as re-painting of the secretariat buildings – the structures that housed government workers who are grumbling under poor condition of service and yearning for improved welfare packages from government, on a daily basis, to no avail.
Udom Emmanuel’s government has continued to live in self-denial that civil servants in the state are not owed their salaries and entitlements, the contrary is the other of the day, as civil servants have continued to publicly demand for their several months of unpaid salaries and other entitlements including promotion arrears; even pensioners in the state are not left out.
Embarrassingly, as it were, the other day, three next of kin of retired primary school teachers who were arrested and charged to court last year (2017), for staging a peaceful protest at Government House entrance, and for calling on the government to pay up the pensions and gratuities of their late parents, were discharged and acquitted by the Magistrate court. How then do we define a government that has little or no interest for her employees’ welfare?
Of concern to Nigerians also, is the fact that government claimed it has refurbished and put to use, her Peacock Paints industry at Etinan, saying that production of paints for both private and commercial use are ongoing, but about 1200 drums of Saclux Paints were, so far, seen at the secretariat premises and are being used by government or her contractors handling the secretariat repainting project, instead of Peacock Paints. What impression is the government giving to us, in this circumstance? Is it that our Peacock Paint industry has shutdown production or government prefers the quality of Saclux Paints than Peacock Paints? What exactly should I believe?
Albeit, it matters more for me and I think, other Nigerians too, for Governor Emmanuel to rather, first of all, beatify the lives of his civil servants, before beatifying the secretariat complex, which only provides accommodation to these civil servants.
• Franklyn Isong is a public affairs commentator
