The Executive governor of Delta State, Sen. Ifeanyi Okowa has commended civil servants in the state for their irresistible support which benefited the success of his government since 2015 it came on board.
Okowa gave the commendation during an interactive session with civil servants at Dome Event Center in Asaba on Tuesday.
The governor in his speech admitted that the successes reported by his administration would not have been possible without the teamwork and efforts of the civil servants.
He appealed to the workers to sustain the support for the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP-led administration in the state by voting for the party in Saturday’s Gubernatorial and House of Assembly elections.
The Governor noted that civil servants played critical roles in oiling the wheels of governance, disclosing that the financial status of the state was not healthy when he assumed duty as Governor in 2015.
He said it took the grace of God and the cooperation of workers in the state, as demonstrated by labor leaders, as well as the dogged commitment of his administration for the challenges to be frontally mitigated.
“In the last year, I have been off and on Delta state. But one thing that makes me proud is that the government has continued to stay on course in the development of the state.
“I know that it wouldn’t have been possible without the loyalty of our civil servants and the great efforts that you put into your various Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs). So, for that, I truly thank you.
“Whatever we have achieved in the course of governance in this last eight years would not have been possible without the great input of our civil servants and guidance they have given even to those who have been appointed to various offices as Commissioners or other capacities.
“I thank you for the great job done. I have been part of you for the greater part of my life even when I know that I am not a civil servant. But somehow, I found myself working in public service for a very long time.
“I know the important role those of us that are civil servants play in oiling the wheels of governance in the state, and that none of us can achieve anything without the input of civil servants.
“I tried as much as possible not to be distracted nor join issues with people, but to look into the future to see what I could do to solve the problems that I met on the ground.
“I also want to thank the labor unions for the support that I received when I came into office in 2015. It was truly a very difficult time”, he added.
While saying that the payment of workers’ salaries was his top priority, the Governor reiterated his appeal to the workers to vote for the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, as Governor in the forthcoming election.
He stated that his administration tried its best in assisting local government councils to pay workers salaries even though the councils belonged to another tier of government.
Okowa pointed out that 21 local government councils in the state would not have been able to pay their workers’ salaries but for the intervention of the state government.
The Governor deflated the allegation that his administration had borrowed N850 billion, clarifying that the state government had only discounted N91 billion from the N217 billion that the Federal Government was owing the state.
Okowa, who was the Vice Presidential candidate of the PDP in the February 25 Presidential election, added that the N91 billion that was discounted was tied to specific projects for the overall good of Deltans.
On promotion arrears of workers, the Governor called on the appropriate Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to do the needful at the appropriate time to avoid a backlog of arrears.
He explained that the tuition fee paid in the state-owned tertiary institutions was for the running of the schools and not aimed at putting a heavy burden on parents and caregivers.
During a question and answer session, the Governor appealed to anyone not comfortable with the policies and programs of his administration to put the past behind and work for the greater good of the state.
Responding, the State Head of Service, Mr. Reginald Bayoko, hailed the Governor for his labor-friendly tendency, putting in that workers in the state are always thankful to him.
