•Gov Uduaghan Photo: Sun News Publishing

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These days, it is usual for women to say that what a man can do, a woman can do better. However, this belief was recently proved wrong by Delta State governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, when he declared that the work of Secretary to a State Government was not only enormous but also too challenging for a woman to handle, as it required 24 hours attention.

According to the governor, the job is quite tasking and the governor could require the attention of the secretary at odd times.
“At times as Secretary to the State Government could be called even at 2.am,” he said.

With this, Uduaghan said creating a constitutional role for the secretary was not necessary as the secretary’s functions were dependent on his relationship with the governor.
Uduaghan, who spoke in Asaba, the state capital at the launch of a book, The Substance of Governance, believes that if a secretary to the state government was powerful, it was the making of the governor and if otherwise, the governor would also be responsible.

The medical doctor-turned politician explained that his experience as Secretary to the Delta State Government from 2003 to 2006 prepared him for his present position, adding that office of the Secretary to the State Government was the engine room of government.

While commending the authors of the book, Messrs Chukwudebe Odigbo and Emma Ugheberio, he noted with satisfaction that there were still men and Odigbo and Emma Ugheberio, he noted with satisfaction that there were still men and women in the service who were intelligent, honest and hardworking, adding that the sky was the limit for hardworking civil servants, while the lazy and dishonest ones would be shown the way out.

While calling for a second edition of the book, Uduaghan frowned at the idea of using the book to raise funds. He directed that copies of the book be distributed to tertiary institutions, ministries, parastatals, liaison offices and state libraries.

Speaking later, Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, said that the book had succeeded in raising some critical question, especially on the constitutional role of the Secretary to the State Government and stressed that the book was written to capture the role played by the office of the SSG in public service delivery. Further said that the book not only appraised the roles of the various secretaries to the state government from 1991 to 2006 but also reflected on the centrality of the office of the Secretary to the State Government in governance.