Project Materials

IMPACT OF SECRETARIES IN IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF SERVICES IN GOVERNMENT PARASTATALS (A Case Study Of Nepa Enugu)

ABSTRACT

Many people in today’s society have a skewed view of secretaries and their roles in enhancing the quality of services provided by both public and private organisations.People imagine secretaries’ responsibilities extend beyond simple typing and shorthand, leading to their underappreciation and neglect in society. The researcher’s goals in this project are to identify the factors that help or hinder government parastatals from carrying out their duties effectively and to determine the extent to which these factors influence the quality of services provided by these organisations. And that efficient secretaries aren’t necessary for success in the public or commercial sectors. The research only included one government parastatal (NEPA) in its data gathering, with thirty (30) confidential and general secretaries chosen at random to fill out the surveys. Based on their responses, researchers concluded that secretaries play a significant role in enhancing the quality of services provided by government parastatals. They recommend that secretaries be supported, encouraged, and compensated for their professional development through training so that they can progress in their careers.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 The Background of the Study 

Companies established with the express purpose of serving the public interest are known as government-owned parastatals. The high level of expertise and resources required to complete such projects makes them unsuitable for individuals. There are two types of parastatals: federal and state owned.

The former is primarily focused on nonprofits, while the latter is more concerned in making a profit. Federal owned parastatals. Parastatals that are owned by the federal government are known as federally owned. These are just a few examples of the parastatals owned by the federal government: NEPA, NITEL, NPA, NIPOST, NRC, NTH, FRCN, NTA, and many more.

One type of parastatal is one that is owned by the state itself. Numerous state-owned parastatals can be found in Enugu, including the Enugu State Broadcasting Service (ESBS), the Enugu State Water Corporation, Enugu State Schools, and State Hospitals, among others.

Tasks assigned to them – The generating and distribution of electricity is within the purview of NEPA. Telephones, telex, telefax, installation, and servicing are all under NITEL’s purview. Mail, packages, telegrams, and international mail are all under the purview of NIPOST. Train transportation in Nigeria is overseen by the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC). Air travel in Nigeria is overseen by the Nigeria Airways Corporation (NAC).

Radio and television broadcasting in Nigeria are handled by the Nigeria Broadcasting Corporations (NBC). It is the job of water corporations to purify and provide water to the public. In terms of health care and vaccines, hospitals are the ones to call.

The government establishes and runs these parastatals to make sure that everyone gets its fair share of services. If these organisations were to be run by private companies or individuals, though, they could end up politicising them and ruining what should have been a fair distribution of services.

Business organisations that are created by suitable enabling Acts of parliament, Decrees, or Edicts in a given country or state are referred to be government parastatals or public corporations according to Akande (1999).

Their focus might be on profit or on helping the public. These days, in Nigeria, the most of them are focused on business. The following are its distinguishing traits:

in most cases, the federal government or a state owns them.

(ii) The provision of public services is the very reason for their establishment.

(iii) Relying too much on subsidies from the government continues.

Public corporations are sometimes known as state enterprises, according to Anyanwuochi (2002). The state’s involvement in the private sector is known as “public corporations” in mixed economies. In common parlance, they make up the public sector.

This establishment is run on a business basis, however it is with the goal of serving the public good. Although they may be expected to break even in certain instances, their primary goal is not often to maximise profit.

The government currently offers services that private companies may find too costly or unprofitable to offer directly through these parastatals.

On top of that, the term “secretary” is among the most ill-defined in today’s society. Secretary is a catchall term for someone whose job description includes skill-based tasks like typing, writing, or shorthand.

Many are unaware of the vital role that secretaries play in government-owned parastatals, despite the fact that these individuals have received extensive training and have relevant job experience in the field.

An organization’s secretaries are its lifeblood. In addition to organising meetings, keeping secrets, and dealing with mail and communications, they also serve as a staff assistant and act as the boss’s office memory. They act as representatives of their companies, and their bosses treat them with respect and kindness on the job.

1.2 Statement Of The Problem

There are times when the government takes over the provision of essential services that the private sector would otherwise handle, leading to the outright exploitation of the masses; in such cases, the establishment of certain government owned parastatals is justified by the legitimate responsibility of the government to ensure the welfare of all individuals governed by that nation.

There is evidence that these government parastatals have been helping the public. People sometimes attest to the quality of these services, and other times they criticise them for being unhealthy.

The issue is that it is unknown whether secretaries in those Enugu urban government prarastatals are actively working to improve the level of services their organisations provide to the people. It is also unknown how much the management of those parastatals owned by the government values secretaries’ work.

1.3 The Purpose Of The Study

The primary goal of this research is to:-

i. Find out what secretaries can do to make government parastatals better at what they do.

ii. Uncover the unusual challenges faced by secretaries in parastatals run by the government.

iii. Determine how a company gauges the value of a secretary’s work.

iv. Recognise specific challenges that a secretary faces when trying to carry out their duties efficiently.

1.4 The significance Of The Study

Not only will NEPA’s upper management, but also other employers, policymakers, and anybody else hoping to accomplish their organisational goals stand to gain greatly from this study. Also, secretaries are essential to the success of any organisation, whether it’s NEPA or another.

When the results of this project are put into practice, secretaries in Enugu urban will provide effective services to government parastatals, and the study will also help us comprehend the word “secretaries” better.

1.5 Study Restrictions

The effect of secretaries on enhancing service quality in government parastatals, with a focus on NEPA District Headquarters in Enugu, is the sole subject of this research. A lot of thought and research went into understanding how secretaries contribute significantly to NEPA’s success and longevity.

1.6 Research Questions

To steer and direct the investigation, we have formulated the following research questions:

1. How can secretaries in Enugu Urban improve the quality of services provided by government parastatals?

2. What are the unique challenges faced by government parastatals secretaries? 8.

3. Thirdly, how is a secretary’s performance reviewed in a typical workplace?

4. What are the things that make it hard for a secretary to do their job well?

1.7 Definition of Terms

A secretary works closely with executives, has strong office skills, is self-motivated, and can get things done with minimal oversight.

“Typist” refers to an entry-level employee in a company. Assisting with administrative tasks and transcribing documents from manuscripts is a typist’s primary responsibility.
The term “stemographer” refers to a professional who is adept at both shorthand and typing.

When a state owns 100% of a business or other organised enterprise, and when that entity is formed by a specific statute outlining its rights and responsibilities, we say that it is a public cooperation.