…reaffirms commitment to civil servants’ welfare
ASABA — Delta State Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, is set to inaugurate the newly completed Permanent Secretaries’ Quarters in Asaba on Thursday, as his administration renews its commitment to improving the welfare and working conditions of civil servants.
The Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Kingsley Emu, disclosed this on Tuesday during an inspection of the completed residential complex ahead of the inauguration.
Emu said the administration regarded civil servants as critical partners in governance and had continued to introduce measures aimed at improving their welfare, professional capacity and productivity.
According to him, workers in the state civil service have benefited from several interventions, including a three-day working arrangement, vehicle allowances, access to loans and expanded 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 said the state had invested substantial resources in workforce development, noting that training remained an important component of the administration’s human capital development strategy.
He added that Governor Oborevwori considered civil servants indispensable to the effective implementation of government policies and programmes.
“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 construction of the Permanent Secretaries’ Quarters formed part of a broader welfare package designed to provide better living conditions for senior civil servants.
Emu said the administration had also taken steps to accommodate retired and former civil servants through various government programmes, describing the approach as part of its broader commitment to the workforce.
He stressed that the civil service remained the implementing arm of government and therefore deserved sustained investment.
“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,” he said.
12 Units Completed
Speaking on the newly completed residential complex, the SSG described the structures as modern and befitting the status of Permanent Secretaries, who constitute the highest administrative cadre in the state civil service.
He disclosed that the complex comprised 12 residential units, each with four bedrooms and equipped with modern facilities.
“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,” Emu said.
He added that the facility would have uninterrupted electricity supply, paved access roads and enhanced security.
“There’s going to be unlimited power here, 24-7. The roads are well paved and they are well secured,” he stated.
Emu, however, clarified that the government’s housing intervention was not restricted to Permanent Secretaries.
He said the administration was working on alternative housing schemes for other categories of civil servants through partnerships with private developers and the Federal Mortgage Bank.
The initiative, he said, was intended to expand access to decent and affordable accommodation for workers while further strengthening the government’s welfare package for the state civil service.
