By Kenneth Orusi, Managing Editor
A pressure group, Concerned Public Servants for Good Governance Forum, Delta State, has called on the state government to give greater attention to the welfare and working conditions of public servants, describing them as a critical constituency in the state’s development process.
The Convener of the forum, Comrade Promise Obi, made the call while speaking with newsmen on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, in Asaba.
Obi, who works with the Delta State Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, said the forum comprised teachers, civil servants, federal workers and other public servants across the state who had come together to advocate good governance and improved welfare.
He described public servants as the “26th local government Area” of Delta State, stressing that their influence extended beyond the workplace because they were members of families, communities and various professional and social organisations.
“Every public servant has dependants and responsibilities. We are not just public servants without influence. We are a significant constituency in Delta State and should be taken seriously,” he said.
According to him, government should accord public servants similar attention given to political stakeholders, particularly in areas that directly affect their productivity and welfare.
One of the major concerns raised by the group, he said, was the lack of official vehicles for directors in the state public service.
Obi noted that Delta State had close to 50 directors in its public service, many of whom, according to him, were confronted with transportation challenges that affected the effective discharge of their responsibilities.
He therefore appealed to Governor Sheriff Oborevwori to urgently address the issue by providing official vehicles for directors and improving other welfare packages for workers.
The forum also commended the Oborevwori administration for regular payment of salaries and its attention to pensioners, while urging the government to sustain and expand its interventions in favour of workers.
“We appreciate the governor for the payment of salaries and for providing funds for pensioners. We also commend him for the proposed 13th-month bonus. We are only asking that he should do more for public servants,” Obi said.
He further called for approval of training and retraining programmes for workers, stressing that continuous capacity development was essential for an efficient and responsive public service.
On the identity of the organization, Obi clarified that the Concerned Public Servants for Good Governance Forum was a pressure group and not a political organization.
He said the forum was apolitical, self-sponsored and independent of political parties.
“We have made it clear to everyone that we are apolitical. We are a pressure group and we remain a pressure group. Everything we are doing is self-sponsored. No political party is sponsoring our programmes,” he stated.
Obi also dismissed suggestions that the forum was duplicating the responsibilities of organised labour unions such as the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC).
He explained that while the labour unions had their statutory responsibilities and constitutional mandates, the forum was a platform through which concerned public servants could mobilize their resources and voices to promote good governance and advance issues affecting workers.
“Our concern is the welfare of public servants and how public servants can benefit from the system. We are not a union, and we are not in competition with the NLC or TUC,” he said.
The convener reiterated the forum’s commitment to constructive engagement with the government, saying its objective was not confrontation but to ensure that policies and programmes of government translated into improved welfare, productivity and dignity for public servants.
He urged members of the public service to remain committed to their duties while continuing to advocate responsibly for policies that would strengthen the workforce and contribute to the overall development of Delta State.
