The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has hailed civil and public servants in the state for their relentless support for his administration in the past six years, reassuring on ongoing policies to guarantee better opportunities and welfare for workers and other citizens of the State.
Obaseki, who addressed the Edo workers in Benin City, announced the approval for the payment of 13th-month salary to the workers, assuring the development of the Benin Port and other projects aimed at improving the livelihoods of the people and ensuring economic prosperity for the state.
The governor noted, “I am here today to say thank you for your support. When I look back, I know I have people. You have supported me for the past six and a half years.
“I thank you for coming out to vote during the last election to sustain our developmental strides in Edo State. Our focus should be on how to sustain our developmental strides in the state.
“All that I have done in the last six and half years is to put you where you really should belong because you are the heart and the engine of Edo State.”
Obaseki added, “Our focus is on how to ensure the sustainability of the reforms we have embarked on and you need to play an active part in this journey. We want Edo to be a model for the nation and give the nation hope.
“I appreciate the efforts you have put in to ensure the state develops. You must participate in the reforms and must be trained and retrained. We should ensure that the next leader of the State will not take us back.”
Commending the governor for his commitment to the welfare of the workers, the Edo State Head of Service, Anthony Okungbowa Esq., noted, “You will recall that just before the Edo State House of Assembly (EDHA) election, Mr. Governor had an engagement with us. You know this Governor is always scoring first in anything he does. That was the first time any Governor in the history of this State will engage civil servants prior to an election. Your Excellency, we want to thank you wholeheartedly.
“You recall also at that engagement when the Governor spoke to us about certain things, we also spoke to ourselves. One of the things we said to ourselves was that we should identify and recognize the existential threat of the reforms and transformation of the civil service if we didn’t act to ensure that the people who would help the governor to consolidate the gains of the transformation of the service are elected. In response to that, all of us went out to vote and encouraged others to vote. That was what happened in the election.”
He further noted, “I recall a story the Chief of Staff told me about his friend’s mother, after that engagement with the governor. She is a civil servant. The woman went out and started canvassing for people to vote for the Governor.
“We all recognized the threat to our collective interests as civil and public servants. We all went out and voted the right candidates that would help the governor to sustain the reforms and the transformational drive in the State.”
The Head of Service added, “Today we have the success we speak and celebrate about. You should all thank the Governor because all the things we are witnessing that happened in Edo State civil and public service today are unprecedented in the history of this service.”
