By ENITAN ABEL JOHNGOLD ORHERUATA, mnipr
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 initiative 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 digitalisation 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, defending policies, managing personnel and ensuring that government continued to function.
The ceremony assumed a more emotional tone when Oseji announced that she would also retire from the Delta State Public Service on October 28, 2026, after 35 years of service.
She said her impending retirement made the occasion particularly meaningful.
“Before taking my own place among this distinguished company of retirees, I have the honour of standing here tonight to celebrate and pay tribute to those whose years of service have preceded mine,” she said.
Oseji revealed that during her tenure as Head of Service, 13 Permanent Secretaries were appointed while 14 retired.
She said experiences shared by retiring Permanent Secretaries during courtesy visits to her office would be documented in a publication for the proposed Public Service Hall of Fame.
Oborevwori urged the retirees not to see retirement as the end of their relevance.
“Retirement does not mean you are no longer relevant,” he said, describing it as a transition into a new phase where their experience, wisdom and professionalism could still be deployed for the good of society.
He also urged serving civil servants to emulate the retirees and leave behind legacies worthy of the state.
The governor said his administration would continue to prioritise equity, fairness and justice in appointments and development.
He noted that every local government area in Delta now has a Permanent Secretary following the appointment and swearing-in of 12 Permanent Secretaries in May.
The celebration was briefly overshadowed by the death of Mr. Unity Adeda, a Level 16 Deputy Director in the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education.
Adeda died following a fracas at the state Secretariat, prompting the government to postpone the ceremony earlier scheduled to honour the retirees.
The governor said he could not comment fully on the circumstances surrounding the death because the matter was already under police investigation.
He, however, assured Deltans that justice would prevail.
Oborevwori disclosed that an Administrative Panel had also been constituted to determine whether any Civil Service rules or regulations were breached by the officers involved.
He stressed that the panel would not interfere with the police investigation.
According to him, no politician was included in the panel, with its membership drawn from organised labour and the Civil Service.
“The fear of a possible cover-up is unfounded,” the governor said.
He described the incident as a warning to all public servants to exercise restraint, particularly during moments of provocation.
“Self-control is the hallmark of maturity,” he said.
‘Thank you for serving’
Oseji also paid tribute to the families of the retirees, acknowledging the sacrifices spouses and children made during years of demanding public service.
She said late nights, interrupted weekends, public holidays spent at work and calls at odd hours were part of the realities of senior civil service careers.
“To the families of our retirees, we say: this celebration belongs to you too,” she said.
The Head of Service concluded her tribute to the retirees with a simple message:
“Thank you for serving. Thank you for leading.
Thank you for building. And thank you for leaving behind a legacy worthy of celebration.”
For Delta’s retiring bureaucrats, the ceremony marked the end of decades of public service. For those still in the system, it was a reminder that the ultimate reward of public office is the legacy left behind.