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I felicitate with all Edo State Civil/Public Servants on this joyous season of the Yuletide.
The Year 2022 has been quite a remarkable year for the Civil/Public Service of Edo State. In the outgoing year, the Governor Godwin Obaseki -led Administration in Edo State achieved tremendous success in its avowed commitment to transform the Public Service of Edo State.
The Edo State Public Service Transformation Project (EdoStep) which this administration initiated and commenced some years ago, is well and truly on course and is now yielding fruits of progress and development for the Service. For instance, the Year 2022 saw the Service record tremendous success in deepening the gains of the e-governance Agenda of this Administration code named "Edo Gov" which was expanded to include all the 72 Ministries, Departments and Agencies of Government. Government also initiated and executed the Tech Refresh Project, which strengthened the e-governance Project and significantly improved connectivity on the Edo-Gov Platform.
A new, innovative, and more strategic Fleet Management System aimed at ensuring prudent and judicious management and optimal utilisation of the vehicular assets of Government was developed and emplaced this year. The organisation structure of the MDAs was also reviewed and strengthened to ensure professionalism as well as technical and operational excellence in the Ministries, Departments, and Agencies of Government. In addition, the Ministries, Departments, and Agencies were rationalized and significantly reduced in number to reduce governance cost and ensure efficiency.
In the outgoing year, Government paid strong attention to the welfare of its Workforce. On May 1 2022, the Governor of Edo State Mr Godwin Nogheghase Obaseki announced an increase in the minimum wage of Edo workers by 33.3 percent. This increase came into effect immediately, and by that fact, Edo State became the highest minimum wage paying Government in Nigeria and has remained so since then. It is noteworthy that Government was not prompted into doing so by Labour as had hitherto been the case. Government took the decision in recognition of the need to reduce the financial hardship faced by workers in the state and to encourage them to put in their best in their assigned tasks. For the same reason, Government has cleared all arrears of promotion and approved promotions up to date for Edo Workers and has continued to pay workers and pensioners regularly and promptly. Indeed, by the 16th of December, 2022, Government had paid salaries and pensions for the month of December 2022 to enable workers and pensioners have their well-deserved yuletide celebrations.
The Government has also continued to give attention to the work environment of civil/ public servants. To the foregoing end, Government has pursued vigorously the reconstruction and remodelling of the secretariat complex and only recently, quietly handed over for the use of Public Servants, the newly completed state -of- the -art Block B of the secretariat buildings.
There has also been developed a new performance management system designed to ensure that the performance of every worker in the public service is effectively monitored and managed so that the contributions of every worker to the actualization of the objectives of the service and the governance agenda of Government become measurable. Accordingly, progression or advancement in service is no longer a matter of course but a product of productivity and contributions of individual workers to the attainment of the overall goals of the service and the Agenda of Government.
During the outgoing year, we also worked on a new set of rules to replace the extant rules last reviewed in 2012. The new rules that will soon come into effect contain provisions that are designed to emplace a new staff reward system with fair and objective criteria that recognize hard work and efficiency as the basis for rewarding deserving workers.
In recognition of the importance of intellectual property resource development and adequate employee skills base in enhancing staff delivery capacity, Government has strengthened and operationalized the John Odigie Oyegun Public Service Academy which this Administration built for the purpose. This best in class academy has commenced the training and retraining of staff of the public service of Edo State in line with its mandate.
Government is continuing to strengthen its workforce, both in quality and quantity. This year, Government has brought into the Public Service, over 2000 workers in employment exercises that have proceeded on the basis of merit. Through these exercises, Government has given priority to and employed several First Class and Distinction graduates in a deliberate attempt to shore up the quality of the Edo State Public Service Workforce. In addition, the Governor has offered automatic employment to the best graduating students of Edo Origin in Universities across Edo State and there are plans to extend this gesture to other universities in Nigeria.
I must express my profound gratitude to the Governor of Edo State, Mr Godwin Nogheghase Obaseki, the Deputy Governor Rt. Hon (Comrade) Philip Shaibu and the Government of Edo State for prioritising the development of the public service and giving it the enablement to perform its unique role in supporting Government to achieve its purpose of delivering quality governance to the good people of Edo State.
I will also like to use this opportunity to thank all civil/ public servants for staying the course of the transformation and for their commitment to their duty this year.
It is my hope and expectation that the unique efforts of Government will engender increased dedication, commitment, and productivity on the part of civil/ public servants in Edo State. I urge you to reciprocate the good gesture of Government in repositioning the service and redouble your effort towards ensuring the success of the governance agenda of the state Government.
Once again, merry Christmas and best wishes for a healthy and prosperous New Year.
Signed
Anthony Osas Okungbowa, Esq.
Head of Service,
Edo State
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