The Delta State Government has reaffirmed its commitment to the welfare and professional development of civil servants, describing them as critical partners in the implementation of government policies and programmes.
Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Dr. Kingsley Emu, stated this on Tuesday while inspecting the newly completed Permanent Secretaries’ quarters in Asaba ahead of its inauguration on Thursday, noting that the administration of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori had introduced a number of measures aimed at improving the working conditions and welfare of workers in the state civil service.
Dr. Emu said civil servants were enjoying greater convenience in the state, including a three-day working arrangement, payment of vehicle allowances, access to loans and extensive opportunities for training and capacity development.
“Today, civil servants are seen doing three working days round. That’s a lot of convenience. We have paid vehicle allowances and made provisions for loans for them. We send them on training,” he said.
The SSG, who noted that he personally approves training-related matters, said Delta State had committed significant resources to the development of its workforce.
According to him, the Governor regards civil servants as friends and indispensable partners in governance, stressing that the welfare of workers remains a major priority of the administration.
“Civil servants are friends to the government. The government loves them. Our Permanent Secretaries are driving brand new vehicles,” Emu said.
He explained that the provision of the new quarters was part of a broader programme of welfare interventions being implemented by the Oborevwori administration, assuring civil servants that the government would continue to introduce initiatives that would improve their welfare.
Emu also highlighted what he described as the administration’s efforts to accommodate retired and former civil servants, noting that some workers who had left the system had been reintegrated into government programmes.
The SSG said the administration’s commitment to civil servants was informed by the pivotal role they play in governance, describing the civil service as the implementing arm of the public service.
“Governor Oborevwori is not just for the people. He’s even so much so for the civil servants because he believes that they lay the golden eggs,” Emu said.
Turning specifically to the newly completed Permanent Secretaries’ quarters, Dr. Emu described the structures as elegant edifices befitting the status of the apex administrative officers in the state civil service.
“The entire PS complex are for civil servants. The Permanent Secretaries are the apex of the civil service. We have these new, elegant edifices. We have 12 of them, four bedrooms each, with all air-conditioned and then with all the facilities that you can think of. There’s going to be unlimited power here, 24-7. The roads are well paved and they are well secured,” he stated.
The SSG, however, stressed that the government’s housing interventions were not limited to Permanent Secretaries, explaining that the administration was developing alternative housing arrangements for other categories of civil servants through partnerships with private developers and the Federal Mortgage Bank.
