Delta permanent secretaries earn N900,000, I earn N503,000 — Gov Oborevwori

Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, has revealed that Permanent Secretaries in the state earn N900,000 monthly, while his salary as governor is N503,000.

Oborevwori made the disclosure on Thursday in Asaba while inaugurating 12 four-bedroom terraced duplexes for Permanent Secretaries and presenting official vehicles to 12 newly appointed Permanent Secretaries.

The governor said his administration increased the salaries of Permanent Secretaries after they complained that some directors were earning almost as much as they were.

Explaining the salary adjustment, Oborevwori said the government responded to the concerns raised by the Permanent Secretaries.

“When the Permanent Secretaries said most of the Directors are receiving almost the same thing with them, we increased their money. Today, Permanent Secretaries… Your salary is 900, my salary is 503,000, Governor’s salary.

He added that the Head of Service earns N1 million monthly, while joking that some Permanent Secretaries may not want their spouses to know how much they earn.

“Head of Service is one million. It’s clear. So, you know some of them don’t want their husbands to know how much they are receiving,” he said.

Oborevwori said his administration had made the welfare of civil servants a priority, including providing official vehicles to Permanent Secretaries to help them perform their duties.

He said the government had previously given vehicles to serving Permanent Secretaries and was providing another 12 vehicles to those recently appointed.

“To enhance their mobility and operational efficiency, we provided official vehicles to serving Permanent Secretaries. And today, it is my pleasure to present another 12 vehicles to the Permanent Secretaries that were recently sworn in,” he said.

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The governor also disclosed that 302 public officers had benefited from the Public Officers’ Vehicle Loan Scheme, while 119 had received support through the Public Officers’ Housing Loan Scheme.

He said the state had also provided farm inputs to civil servants interested in farming, with the aim of helping them earn additional income and contribute to food security.

According to him, 450 senior management staff had also received support to participate in a seven-weekend training programme through a partnership with the Administrative Staff College of Nigeria.

Oborevwori said the appointment of 12 new Permanent Secretaries in May was aimed at ensuring that every local government area in the state had a Permanent Secretary in the civil service.

He stressed that the appointments were based on merit and were not influenced by personal recommendations.

“The process was properly done. Not by saying, even the one that was appointed in my place, I don’t even know the person. All the Permanent Secretaries appointed, no one was recommended by anybody, but by merit,” he said.

The governor also said Delta was among the first states to implement the new national minimum wage.

He explained that the decision followed consultations involving the Head of Service, Commissioner for Information and representatives of the Nigeria Labour Congress.

Oborevwori further announced that the state had approved the payment of a 13th-month salary to civil servants from December.

“Not to forget that recently we approved the payment of 13th month salary for civil servants, beginning from December this year.

He said the government was working to ensure that the payment would continue beyond his administration by giving it legal backing.

“It might interest you to know that we are in the process of sending an executive bill to the Delta State House of Assembly to give this gesture legal backing.

“So, it is something that is compulsory. By the time it has legal backing, even when I leave office in 2031, they will still be paying you your 13th month salary,” he added.

Oborevwori urged civil servants and political appointees to avoid absenteeism, nepotism, waste, inefficiency, bribery and corruption.

He also assured workers that his administration would continue to invest in infrastructure and other measures to improve efficiency and service delivery.

The governor urged those who received the newly inaugurated duplexes, as well as other residents of the quarters, to take proper care of the facilities and ensure their security, cleanliness and maintenance.