EXPOSED: The Untold Story of Enugu Workers, the Agony of Their Permanent Secretaries, and the Questions the NLC Must Answer

... A Human Tragedy of Neglect, Institutional Humiliation, Dignity Betrayed, Unpaid Wages and the Pain of Those Left to Keep Enugu State Running

A government cannot credibly preach productivity while presiding over conditions that undermine the morale of its workforce. Neither can a state claim to be building a modern economy while the very people responsible for keeping its administrative machinery running are denied the dignity, welfare and institutional support their offices demand.

There is something fundamentally troubling about a government that appears to celebrate its political appointees while the very pillars of its administrative machinery  struggle for dignity, mobility and the basic resources required to discharge their responsibilities. In Enugu State, disturbing accounts emerging from within the civil service raise questions that demand urgent answers from the Lion Building.

What happens when those entrusted with keeping a government running begin to feel abandoned by the government they serve?

According to a source familiar with the situation, the condition of Permanent Secretaries and state civil servants in  the State has become increasingly demoralising. One particularly disturbing account describes a Permanent Secretaries  struggling to board a commercial Keke NAPEP (tricycle) alongside other passengers to get to work, while political appointees especially those people imported from Lagos in the name technocrat are reportedly provided with government vehicles.

A Permanent Secretary is not an ordinary bureaucratic figure. The office represents institutional memory, administrative continuity, policy implementation and the professional backbone of government. 

Why, then, should those carrying such responsibilities struggle for the basic mobility required to perform their duties under Governor Peter Mbah's administration. What exactly is the offence of these permanent Secretary. 

Reports from within the service further suggest that workers believe they have never experienced such difficult working conditions as those they face under the present administration. This raises a fundamental question: how can a government demand commitment, efficiency and productivity from officials whose morale it may be undermining?

*THE MYSTERY OF THE MISSING PERMANENT SECRETARIES*

Even more troubling are reports that, out of approximately 48 Permanent Secretary positions in the state, only 18 have been filled under the present administration, leaving numerous important ministries and government establishments without substantive administrative leadership.

This raise serious questions about administrative planning, institutional coordination and the effective supervision of government business. Is there something the Lion Building is not telling the people of Enugu State? Could prolonged vacancies in critical administrative positions be affecting the coordination and delivery of government programmes and the reason for the abysmal performance?

Why would critical ministries operate without substantive Permanent Secretaries? Is there a shortage of qualified and experienced civil servants in a state with a longstanding administrative tradition? 

*RETIREMENT, RECALL AND THE GENERATIONAL QUESTION*

There are also reports that some retired Permanent Secretaries have been retained or recalled into service while qualified serving officers and younger professionals continue to seek opportunities for advancement. These reports require clarification, particularly regarding the circumstances under which retired officials may have been retained or recalled.

A civil service must preserve experience, but it must also create room for renewal. Institutional knowledge is valuable; however, a system that fails to prepare the next generation of administrators risks weakening itself over time.

If retired officials are being retained, what specific institutional needs justify such decisions? Were the applicable rules followed? What opportunities exist for qualified serving officers to advance into leadership?

If vacancies remain unfilled while retired officials are retained beyond their retirement, what message does that send to younger civil servants who have spent years preparing for greater responsibility?

UNPAID WAGES: WHEN ADMINISTRATIVE ERRORS BECOME FAMILY TRAGEDIES

Perhaps the most distressing allegations concern workers whose salaries have reportedly been withheld for months following repeated verification exercises, without formal termination of their appointments or satisfactory resolution of their cases. In this hard time, a governor who claim to prioritize welfare of workers is stopping people's salary because of the so called verification. 

There are also reports that Enugu civil servants receive comparatively the poorest emuneration and inadequate allowances relative to their counterparts elsewhere in the South-East. 

A salary is not a favour bestowed by government. It is the means by which a worker feeds a family, pays school fees, meets medical expenses and sustains a household.

Behind every withheld salary is a human story that official files may never fully capture: a parent struggling to provide food, a child whose school fees remain unpaid, a landlord demanding rent, or a family postponing medical treatment because the income on which it depends has suddenly disappeared.

Staff verification is a legitimate administrative responsibility. Government has every right to investigate suspected irregularities, authenticate records and protect public funds. But when workers who have reportedly served for more than two decades find themselves without salaries following verification exercises, that is pure act of wickedness. 

If a worker's records contain errors, should those errors not be investigated and resolved fairly before the worker is left without a livelihood in this hard time? Why should a spouse and children bear the consequences of a bureaucratic dispute they had no part in creating?

No verification exercise should become an excuse for administrative opacity or indefinite financial hardship.

WHERE IS ORGANISED LABOUR?

Another question that cannot be ignored concerns the role of organised labour in Enugu State.

What have the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) done to investigate these allegations and protect affected workers? Have the unions demanded transparent explanations for prolonged salary withholding? Have they established the scale of the problem, documented affected cases and sought formal timelines for resolution?

These questions are not accusations against labour leaders. They are legitimate demands for accountability from institutions established to defend workers' interests.

Organised labour matters most when workers feel that their individual voices cannot carry far enough to reach those in authority. Its responsibility is not limited to ceremonial engagements or routine negotiations. It must also provide a credible platform for grievances, evidence-based advocacy and the protection of workers' rights.

GOVERNOR MBAH MUST ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS

Governor Peter Mbah's administration must provide clear, verifiable answers to the concerns raised by these accounts.

1. Official vehicles and welfare: How many Permanent Secretaries are currently provided with official vehicles? What policy governs the allocation of government vehicles and other work-related support to Permanent Secretaries compared with political appointees?

2. Vacant positions: How many Permanent Secretary positions are authorised, how many are occupied and which ministries or government establishments remain without substantive administrative heads?

3. Administrative planning: Why have some reported vacancies remained unfilled, and what is the administration's timeline for addressing them?

4. Retirement and recall: What are the facts surrounding the alleged retention or recall of retired Permanent Secretaries? What rules govern such decisions, and how is succession planning being managed?

5. Withheld salaries/pension: How many civil servants and retirees have had their salaries/pensions withheld following verification exercises? How long have their cases remained unresolved, what are the reasons, and what measures are in place to settle legitimate claims promptly?

6. Remuneration and allowances: How does Enugu State's salary and allowance structure compare with those of other South-East states, and what steps are being taken to improve workers' welfare?

These are not unreasonable questions. They concern public administration, financial accountability and the social contract between government and the people.

A government that believes its policies are sound should have no difficulty explaining them. Where administrative failures exist, the government should acknowledge them and provide a credible plan for remediation.

THE REAL COST OF NEGLECTING THE CIVIL SERVICE

The civil service is not merely a collection of offices, files and official titles. It is the institutional memory of the state, the machinery through which public policy becomes public service, and the structure that sustains governance when political attention shifts elsewhere.

When its leadership like the permanent secretary is demoralised, its workers are uncertain about their livelihoods and its administrative structures are left with unexplained vacancies, the consequences may extend far beyond the affected individuals.

Morale and allegiance failing 

Institutional knowledge risks being lost. Efficiency may decline. Public confidence weakens. Ultimately, ordinary citizens may bear the cost through delayed decisions, weaker coordination and diminished service delivery.

This is why the welfare of Permanent Secretaries and other civil servants must not be dismissed as an internal government matter. It is directly connected to the quality of governance every resident of Enugu State receives.

A modern economy cannot be built on infrastructure and investment announcements alone. It also requires functioning institutions, motivated professionals, reliable administrative systems and a workforce that believes its service is valued.

No government can sustainably achieve its development objectives if the people responsible for implementing its policies feel neglected, insecure or inadequately supported.

ENUGU DESERVES ANSWERS, NOT SILENCE

While we appreciate the Governor for approving the payment of ₦32 billion in outstanding legacy gratuities owed to retired civil servants, with the first ₦10 billion tranche set for disbursement, we hope and expect that the implementation will be comprehensive, transparent, and genuine, rather than a political gimmick. We will closely monitor the process to ensure that the intended beneficiaries receive what is rightfully theirs. We equally question the timing. 

Enugu's Permanent Secretaries deserve recognition for their professional responsibilities and the institutional role they play. Civil servants whose wages have allegedly been withheld deserve fair hearings, transparent decisions and the timely payment of legitimate entitlements. The civil service deserves clear policies, fair treatment and the resources required to function effectively.

Organised labour must also demonstrate that it is monitoring these concerns and defending the interests of affected workers.

The final question is simple: if those entrusted with keeping Enugu State's government running are themselves struggling for professional dignity, institutional support and financial security, what does that say about the priorities of the government they serve?

Enugu deserves a civil service that is respected, adequately supported and capable of delivering results. Its workers deserve transparency, fairness and accountability. Above all, the people of Enugu State deserve a government that values not only the projects it announces, but also the people and institutions responsible for making governance work.

The Renaissance Team

Therenaissance@gmail.com