CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

        An office cannot effectively function without secretary. A secretary is very important in every organization. Secretary is the pillar of every organization. The objectives of an organization can hardly be achieved if a secretary is not employed. The success or failure of any organization depends on the secretary. The impression the secretary creates influence the attitude of the public towards the organization. Every secretary must be able to handle office equipment such as typewriter, converting hand written materials into printed forms mail room equipment, dispatch and receive of mails telephone instrument for communication purposes and the computer, a powerful equipment which renders itself to various uses. All these activities and many others not described here from the duties attributable to confidential secretaries.

        Therefore, before appraising the major roles confidential secretaries play in the civil service of Anambra State. Let us have a brief concept of which a secretary means. Confidential secretary has been defined in various ways.

        A confidential secretary is an assistance to an executive possessing a mastery of the office, the person must demonstrate the ability to accept responsibility without direct supervision assigned direction.

        A mere servant, his position is that he has to do what he is told and no person can assume he has any authority to represent anything at all.

        The above definition was made when the education status of secretaries has not been enhanced and their duties not clearly identified. As time goes on the positive of confidential secretaries has started to experience what can be termed as modification is occasioned by technological development, which afforded advancement in secretarial field. Many scholars and association formulated a coherent definition of secretary. Homby (1942) in his dictionary identified a secretary as: An employee in an office who deals with correspondence, keeps records, make arrangement and appointment for a particular member of the staff and usually called private secretary.

        The importance of a secretary and his work in any organisation cannot be overemphasized he is the gateway of every employer as he is the first person to be seen.

        According to Unwin (1982) a secretary is an ambassador of an organization, more often. He is the first person whom customer or members of the general public come in contact. A secretary is also a person to speak than on the telephone, and first impressions are important, therefore, the secretary has the responsibility of representing the organization.