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Delta State Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, has announced that civil servants in the state will soon begin receiving a 13th-month salary, following the passage of an Executive Bill by the State House of Assembly.
Oborevwori, who made the disclosure on Monday at a send-forth ceremony for the immediate past Head of Service, Mr. Reginald Bayoko, mni, and 27 retired Permanent Secretaries and Heads of Extra-Ministerial Departments, said he would assent to the bill within days.
He said the gesture was part of his administration’s efforts to build a highly motivated, competent and performance-driven workforce.
“Not many days from today, I will assent to the bill, and the 13th-month salary will subsequently become a law of the Delta State Government,” the governor said.
The announcement came as the state honoured senior civil servants who had retired from active service, in what was described as a celebration of decades of institutional knowledge, leadership and sacrifice.
The governor, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Dr. Kingsley Emu, also disclosed that more than 500 civil servants across 19 Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) had been trained in the digitisation of the state public service.
According to him, the training was designed to make government operations faster, more efficient and cost-effective.
He said his administration had also introduced performance-monitoring mechanisms to improve accountability and make workers more result-oriented.
“Our policy agenda focuses on boosting productivity, enhancing public sector efficiency and improving service delivery,” Oborevwori said.
He added that the administration was determined to build a civil service anchored on transparency, accountability, professionalism and excellence.
Oborevwori listed a number of welfare initiatives introduced to improve the working and living conditions of civil servants.
He said every serving Permanent Secretary now has an official vehicle, while official vehicles had also been acquired for officials of the Local Government Service Commission.
More workers, he added, had accessed the Public Officers Housing Loan and Vehicle Loan schemes.
The governor also highlighted the commissioning of 12 terrace duplexes for serving Permanent Secretaries, with another 12 already approved.
“These underscore our commitment to giving civil servants the tools they need to function optimally,” he said.
The ceremony honoured Bayoko and 27 retired Permanent Secretaries and Heads of Extra-Ministerial Departments, with the government describing their contributions to the state as invaluable.
The Head of Service, Dr. (Mrs.) Mininim Ibiere Oseji, said the retirees had left behind professional footprints that would remain part of the institutional history of Delta State.
She described Bayoko as a seasoned administrator whose tenure contributed to the strengthening and evolution of the state public service.
“To occupy the Office of Head of Service is to assume responsibility for the human engine of government,” Oseji said.
She noted that the office required wisdom, patience, firmness, diplomacy and an understanding that behind every government file was a human being and behind every policy was the expectation of a citizen.
Oseji also thanked the retirees for the countless hours spent reviewing files, attending meetings, preparing memoranda and defending policies.
