…charges civil, and public servants to change the narrative.

Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, has charged civil and public servants in the state to propagate the message of the laudable developmental strides of his administration ahead of Saturday’s House of Assembly election.

His Excellency, the Governor of Edo State gave the charge on Wednesday at a meeting with all Civil/Public Service Senior Staff, Permanent Secretaries, and Heads of Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) on Wednesday 8th March 2023, at the New Festival Hall, Government House, G.R.A., Benin City.

Itemizing the governor’s positive achievements in the Edo State civil and public sector, the Head of Service, Anthony Okungbowa Esq., stated: “I just want to remind us that on Saturday, we would be going to the polls to elect our state House of Assembly members.

“What I am going to say before Mr. Governor and to all, is just to remind you about the things this administration has put up for us as a people, as a service, so that as you cast your votes on that day, you put those at the back of your minds.

These facts that I am going to bring you are facts that I am not going to remind you about because they are things that you already know.

“You also should recognise that when you cast your votes on that day, you have two choices before you; one is to cast away all the things that have been done and the other is to cast your votes, to continue with what has been done by the government of Edo State.

“Just some facts for you:

“First, you know that today, the Edo State Government public service is the best state public service in the whole of this country.

“Mr. Governor and the government of Edo state have been paying N40,000 minimum wage, which transcends the total amount which other states in the federation pay.

“Today, Edo state is the only state in the federation that has promoted workers up to 2021 and has been approved for promotion for 2022.

“In employment, Edo state in 2012 alone, employed over 4,000 workers.”

According to the Head of the Service, Edo has one of the best intellectual property resource development centers in Nigeria and has developed the training calendar for 2023 as the first of its kind to be done in Edo and 10,000 public officers have been scheduled to be trained in 2023.

Okungbowa narrated that before Godwin Obaseki’s administration came on board, there was a circular that prohibited promotion after retirement. But the Governor directed the withdrawal of the secular prohibiting promotion after retirement and now, the Edo state government is promoting people even after death.

Other laudable sustained motivational gestures include the Edo Health Insurance Scheme (EDOHIS), and the contributory pension scheme (CPS) – Edo State has continuously paid its counterpart, and every worker in Edo state today and the state government has consistently paid several million in death benefits, to the families of dead workers.

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“I can go on and on, but let me give you the last one, the latest one.

“Mr. Governor has approved that buses be purchased, to convey civil servants from some points in the city to the secretariat.

“When you go to vote on Saturday, you must remember these things”, Okungbowa stated.

While addressing the audience, the governor stated that the aim of the brief meeting was for him to talk with the civil and public service workforce because, since the February 25 election, he has been listening to various groups, particularly the political leaders and some of the comments he has heard from them bothered him.

In his remark, Governor Obaseki said: “I felt you should know what is going on and what is at stake.

“The country is going through one of the most serious challenges, since the creation of this country and we all have to pray and be careful.

“Something happened on the 25th of February, which is the beginning of a revolution, it’s a revolt.

“People who came out believing in democracy to say we are tired. We do not want to continue what is going on now.

“It’s an indictment on those who occupied an office in this country to date. They wanted something new, something different.

“All of you were under pressure, pressure from the church, pressure from children, pressure from family, I understood it.

“So naturally, you’re not an island. You went in to cast the vote. Most people followed the trend which is not unusual or abnormal.

“But I don’t think it’s critical. What is important is the outcome of that process, which the majority of Nigerians believe that they did not reflect in the exercise.

“So I thought I should call you and talk with you. This country is under a major challenge. Nigeria would try to become Nigeria, but we Edo indigenes, Edo State existed before Nigeria. We had our systems before Nigeria.

“One of the reasons I said I must talk to you is that since that election, I have been listening to various groups, particularly our political leaders and some of the comments I have heard from them bothered me.