BENIN CITY – The Edo State Head of Service (HOS), Dr. Anthony Okungbowa, has presented the Best Staff of the Month Award for August 2025 to three outstanding officers, with Violet Osatohanmwen Obamwonyi emerging as the overall winner. Eric Uwangbaoje Esebameh and Adesuwa Eke were named first and second runners-up respectively.
Presenting the awards at the Office of the Head of Service, Government House, Benin City, Dr. Okungbowa said that the initiative, introduced as part of ongoing civil service reforms, was designed to complement the existing Worker of the Year Award, encourage healthy competition, and highlight the value of hard work in the Service.
“This recognition is not to create antagonism, envy or disunity, but to unite us and make us understand that there is indeed reward in hard work. All of you are doing extremely well. The applause I get as HOS really belongs to you, because without your efforts, we would not possibly be doing so well. Everyone here is important, no one is more important than the other, not even me,” he said.
He explained that while all staff contributed significantly to the progress of the Service, the award was meant to spotlight individuals whose efforts stood out within the period.
“It only means that one or two of you put in a bit extra and your work became a bit more prominent. This does not mean others did not perform well. There are still several months ahead, and I encourage everyone to keep putting in their best. This reward is in recognition of your passion for your work and hard work, well done and congratulations,” he added.
Dr. Okungbowa further disclosed that winners of the previous month’s award were excluded from consideration in August to ensure fairness.
“This is to democratize merit. I like to commend the incremental effort the winners of last month’s award have expended on their work despite the buzz of the recognition. It was very difficult to beat a winning team, but by giving others the opportunity, we created room for more people to be recognized. When you reward people, they are motivated to do even better,” he said.
He also commended his team of police officers, drivers and personal assistants, describing them as the “unsung heroes” of the Office for their sacrifices and daily commitment. Tokens of appreciation were presented to them during the event.
Obamwonyi, who is Public Relations Officer in the Office of the Head of Service, expressed gratitude to the HOS for the recognition, describing the award as overwhelming and unexpected.
“I sincerely thank the HOS, Dr. Anthony Okungbowa, our Director, Mr. Edwin Edionnweme, and other Directors for bestowing this honour on me today. I also want to especially appreciate my partner on this project, Mr. Precious Nwaeke, whose support and contributions were invaluable.
“He was the backbone of this project. I do not think I can ever thank him enough. And lastly, to my esteemed colleagues, thank you for always encouraging our work,” she said.
