By Ogochukwu Isioma
Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo has employed at least 360 Edo citizens from the three Senatorial Districts into the state’s Civil Service.
Those recruited have been deployed to various government ministries and parastatals to boost the state’s workforce.
State Head of service, Dr Anthony Okungbowa disclosed this in his office in Benin City while briefing newsmen on the steps taken by the Okpebholo-led administration to embark on people-centered initiatives.
Okungbowa said the previous administration had a contractual agreement with consultants and contractors who could hire and fire at anytime it pleased them.
He noted that those employed by this present administration are to receive the N70,000 minimum wage paid to all Edo State workers showing the Okpebholo administration’s commitment to delivering good governance in all sectors.
“Recently the Governor of Edo State, Senator Monday Okpebholo directed that cleaners should be employed into the State civil service as against using consultants and contractors.
“These consultants and contractors were into business and contract with government. They were paid to employ cleaners to clean government offices, and their take home pay then was not encouraging and couldn’t take them home.
“Gov Okpebholo was not pleased with the arrangement of the Obaseki administration, and as such instructed that a direct employment should be embarked on to ensure Edo people were recruited into the State civil and public service and get paid the N70,000 minimum wage.
“Before now, cleaners in the State were receiving N20,000 to N30,000. They were paid less because consultants are businessmen trading to make gains but the Okpebholo administration decided to change the narrative by giving direct employment to enhance the lives of the people and ensure they enjoy good and practical governance.
“These cleaners then under the previous administration were not government workers but workers to different contractors and consultants and job security was not guaranteed as workers under consultancy services could be sacked unceremoniously”, Okungbowa added.
The HOS further said the present administration has brought into the Edo State Civil and Public Service 360 Edo citizens across the three Senatorial District through direct employment and are now civil and public servants in Edo State.
“They have been given appointment letters and they cut across the three Senatorial Districts of the State.
“This is not the only batch that will be employed by the Edo State government as there will be another batch coming up. We want to bring in the number of cleaners required to clean government offices. 360 have been employed now and also been assigned to their various government ministries and prarastatals”, he said.
The HOS on behalf of Edo State workers thanked the governor for embarking on the people-centered initiative of employing a good number of Edo people into the Service and ensuring they benefit from the minimum wage as opposed to what was obtainable in the previous administration.
