Facilities at the Federal Secretariat Complex, Abuja, where civil servants attached to some ministries, departments and agencies are operating from are currently in deplorable state, The PUNCH reports.
Our correspondent who observed developments at the Phase II of the Secretariat Complex located on Shehu Shagari Way in the Three Arms Zone of the Federal Capital Territory reported that the working environment is deteriorating daily.

The complex houses the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Ministry of Information and Culture, Ministry of Science and Technology, Ministry of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, Ministry of Works and Housing (Housing Sector) FCT Field Headquarters, Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on SDG, Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters and the Bureau of Public Service Reforms among others.
The outward appearance of the complex may mislead those who only observe from outside to believe that all is well with the secretariat.
But tucked inside the sprawling 11-storey complex are nonfunctional elevators, peeled and faded office walls, dirty and blocked drainage system and unhealthy toilet facilities among others.
On Monday, our correspondent embarked on an assessment tour that lasted about two hours round the complex between 10am and 12noon and noticed the sorry state of the working environment.
During the tour that saw our correspondent visiting Blocks A to E in the complex, he only stumbled on one functional elevator in just one of the blocks. Expectedly, there was a long queue of workers waiting to use the elevator.

“This elevator is the only one working at the moment. There are others who are functional but we don’t know why they are not putting them to use. I also know that they reserve some others for the ‘ogas’ while we, the workers, suffer,” a female worker who was on the queue to use the elevator told our correspondent.
Our correspondent was confronted with refuse bin, ladder, nonfunctional office cabinet and small billboards with the inscription “Lift under maintenance. Sorry for the inconveniences” at the locations of other elevators in the complex.

“It is a terrible situation. We make use of the staircase here. Most hit are our colleagues who are physically challenged or pregnant women. Once they struggled to get to their offices using the staircase, they dare not go downstairs to eat or do any other thing until they close for the day,” another worker who did not want his name in print for fear of victimisation also told our correspondent.
Another major minus for the secretariat complex is the state of its toilets. Our correspondent who pretended to be in urgent need to use the restrooms noticed that almost all of them were under lock and key.
On enquiry, he was told to approach the office he was visiting if the officials in the office would be magnanimous enough to release the key to their restroom.

After about 20 minutes search, our correspondent stumbled on a toilet room that was not locked.
The stench that welcomed him into the dingy room was indescribable.
While our correspondent was still struggling with his breath, a young man who was making his way out faced him and said, “For two weeks, water has not been running here.”
Decoding the underlining meaning of the unsolicited information, our correspondent, still holding his breath, quickly took a few pictures and left the room as quickly as his legs could carry him.
Right in front of the staff canteen was a dirty drainage. Although the remaining part of it  was covered, two open slabs in front of the canteen revealed a drainage that was blocked by water sachets and other items.
An indication that the workers themselves were not finding the working environment friendly emerged when our correspondent sighted a notice of meeting of the workers scheduled for Tuesday (today). The state of the working environment was listed as one of the issues to be discussed.
READ ALSO: MTN Nigeria to raise N100 billion through commercial paper 
The notice of meeting pasted on the major notice boards in the complex was signed by Secretary of the Joint Union Negotiating Council, OHCSF, N.J. Esabu. The notice read, “The Joint Union Negotiating Council under the auspices of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation invites its esteem members to a meeting scheduled to hold and rub minds on the prevailing circumstances lingering on the welfare of staff and the environment of its workforce/place. Date: 17th September, 2019. Time: 11am prompt. Venue: Olusegun Obasanjo Hall, 2nd Floor, Block A. Your presence and ideas will go a long way to remedy the above.”
Efforts made to speak with Esabu did not yield positive result before our correspondent left the complex on Monday.
The Federal Government had in July 2018 started the process of renovating abandoned and dilapidated structures located within the complex through a Public Private Partnership arrangement.
The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Winnifred Oyo-Ita, inaugurated the process with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the government and a private firm, Alpha Mead Group.
The agreement covers the Ground Floor, Block A and Parking Lots of the Federal Secretariat, Phase II Complex, Abuja. That means the agreement may not cover elevators.
Oyo-Ita had at the signing ceremony said the decision was taken based on her conviction that if given a conducive working environment, workers would will be encouraged to put in their best. She said once the pilot scheme was successful, the arrangement would be extended to other government offices nationwide.
She had said, “Over the years, it had been observed that facilities in most of these buildings deteriorated due to lack of maintenance, while others had become obsolete.
“The state of the buildings was no longer conducive to workers and visitors and did nothing to project government in a positive light.
“With the establishment of the PPP Units in MDAs In November 2012, government had set the tone for collaboration between the public and private sectors on developmental programmes aimed at ensuring regular and proper maintenance of structures and facilities, while providing the much needed funds through IGR.
“It is hoped that on completion, this project will serve as a model for all federal secretariats nationwide and restore the good image and dignity of government buildings.”
Commenting on the partnership, the Managing Director/CEO of Alpha Mead Group, Femi Akintunde, had said that productivity enhancement was achievable with a conducive working environment.

“Partnering with government is usually slow but I have seen speed and determination in this project. As private sector participant, this gives us a lot of impetus and further fuels our resolve to work with all stakeholders to create serviceable and maintainable work space that will meet world standards.
“The Federal Secretariat is the engine room that drives the nation’s economy and must be conducive. We are looking at taking limited resources and turning it into something great,” Akintunde said, adding that the project would be delivered in six months and ready for inauguration in January 2019.
When contacted on the telephone on Monday, the Director, Communications, OHCSF, Mrs Olawunmi Ogunmosule, said efforts were ongoing to address the situation. She however said she could not give further details because of her tight schedule.
“Can we have this discussion another time? This is a busy period for me. Definitely, government is doing something about the situation. There are series of meeting and all the rest but like I said, we are preparing for the civil service week that is starting on Friday, so I am in the middle of series of meetings. Let us have this discussion some other time please,” she said.
Our correspondent also called the Alpha Mead Help Desk, requesting to speak with the firm’s spokesman.
The official who spoke with our correspondent on the telephone said the spokesman was not reachable at the moment.
Credit: Punchngr