For his quality and exemplary leadership skills which he has successfully deployed for the advancement of the public service, Edo State Head of Service, Anthony Okungbowa Esq, has received Award of Excellence.

Receiving the award from the Forward Newspaper as the outstanding Head of Service of the year 2022, Okungbowa thanked the group for the acknowledgement and recognition, noting that whatever gain that has been recorded in the Public Service today in Edo State is due to Governor Godwin Obaseki who has given him a platform to serve the people in that capacity.

“The Civil Service constitutes the engine of government and Mr. Governor is very conscious of that to the extent of putting the needed machinery in motion to ensure that the engine that services government remains in top form,” Okungbowa said.

He listed some of the achievements of the present administration in the state to include regular payment of workers’ salaries and a raise in the workers’ pay package at a time when most states are unable to pay the statutorily approved national minimum wage of N30,000.

“Edo State government has increased the minimum wage from N30,000 to N40,000 and not owing arrears of salaries and promotions. The government has deliberately embarked on reforms in the service to ensure that it is repositioned. For instance, government has remodelled and renovated offices to ensure that the work place is conducive,” he said.

He reassured of government’s commitment to building the capacity of the civil servants which is a key component of the reforms, resulting in the establishment of the John Odigie Oyegun Public Service Acedemy, a first-class training Institute to serve as a training ground for every Edo workers.

Other areas the state has recorded remarkable achievements, the Head of Service noted, include the e-transportation system also known as the EDSG Uber, the adoption of the e-governance module, merit-based employment into the State Civil/Public Service, among others, to ensure service excellence in the system.

Speaking on behalf of Forward Newspaper, Vivian Okafor said the Head of Service was chosen as recipient of the award after he came tops in the scaling perimeters of resourcefulness and innovation, charismatic leadership dispositions, trust, honesty, transparency and accountability.

Highlight of the event was the formal presentation of award to the Head of Service.