Bayelsa TUC Ex-Chairman Defends Nine-Storey Secretariat, Says Opposition Undermines Workers’ Welfare
The immediate past Chairman of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Bayelsa State Council, Dr Laye Julius, has defended the state government’s decision to construct a new nine-storey secretariat, arguing that opposition to the project runs contrary to efforts to improve the welfare and working conditions of civil servants.
Dr Julius stated this during an interview on the Unfiltered Podcast in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, where he described the project as a long-awaited intervention to address inadequate office accommodation across the state’s Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
According to him, successive administrations have committed substantial public funds to renting office buildings for government operations, a situation he said the new secretariat would help address by providing permanent and more suitable accommodation for civil servants.
He maintained that the project would reduce government’s reliance on rented properties while creating a better working environment and enhancing efficiency in public service delivery.
Drawing from his experience as a director in one of the state’s ministries, the Chairman of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN), Bayelsa State Council, highlighted the difficult conditions under which some civil servants currently operate.
He disclosed that office congestion had become a major challenge in some government establishments, with several workers sharing limited space to perform their official duties.
“As a director, I share my office with seven other civil servants. How do you expect a director to work comfortably and efficiently under such conditions?” he queried.
He also noted that the lack of basic facilities in some offices meant that civil servants sometimes had to walk to the end of corridors to access restrooms.
He described such working conditions as unsuitable for a modern public service, stressing the need for improved infrastructure to enable government employees to perform their responsibilities effectively.
The labour leader explained that the construction of the new secretariat was not an arbitrary decision by the government, but a response to a longstanding demand by organised labour for a worker-friendly environment with adequate accommodation for ministries and government agencies.
According to him, labour unions had consistently engaged successive administrations on the need to address the accommodation challenges confronting civil servants, stressing that the ongoing project reflected one of the demands made by workers over the years.
Dr Julius expressed concern that projects aimed at improving the welfare of civil servants often attracted public controversy, questioning why similar criticism was not always directed at other public infrastructure projects, such as road construction.
“It is disturbing that whenever the government wants to make life better for civil servants, arguments begin to emerge. Government builds roads and other infrastructure, yet when it comes to providing a decent working environment for the people who run the public service, it suddenly becomes controversial,” he said.
He maintained that civil servants deserve adequate investment in their working conditions, noting that they play a crucial role in implementing government policies and delivering essential public services.
The ASCSN chairman also commended the governor for embarking on the project, describing the initiative as a step towards improving the working environment of the state’s workforce.
He expressed optimism that the new secretariat would provide more suitable office accommodation, strengthen administrative efficiency and demonstrate recognition of the vital role civil servants play in governance and public service delivery.
