Civil servants in Edo State have showered praises on Governor Monday Okpebholo following the payment of the 13th-month salary, a move they described as timely, thoughtful and a major boost to workers’ morale.
A visit by journalists to the Edo State Secretariat and key ministries, including Information and Strategy, Lands and Housing, Environment and Sustainability, and Education in Iyaro, revealed a wave of excitement among workers who confirmed receiving the payment.
At the Ministry of Information and Strategy, the Director of Orientation, Mrs. Rose Imonikhe, said the alert came as a welcome surprise.
“I woke up this morning and it was the alert that woke me up, the 13th-month salary. I’m grateful to the governor for what he has done. You can see me smiling, and that is how other officers in the Edo State civil service are smiling,” she said.
According to her, the payment has come at a critical time, especially during the festive season when many workers have already exhausted their December salaries.
“This will help people enter the new year with something in their pockets. Those with children’s school fees can pay without stress, and those renewing rents will also benefit. This 13th-month salary will go very far,” Imonikhe added.
She also called on civil servants to reciprocate the governor’s gesture with greater commitment to duty.
“The governor has played his part. It is now left for civil servants to do theirs by being more committed. He is in a hurry to deliver the dividends of democracy, and the civil service is the channel through which this can be achieved,” she said.
Similar sentiments echoed through the Ministry of Lands and Housing, where staff members, including Beatrice Ihulde, Precious Abu, Bridget Igbinovia and Onyinyechi Florence described the payment as a clear demonstration of the government’s concern for workers’ welfare.
At the Ministry of Environment and Sustainability, the Director of Administration, Mrs. Egbe Jocy, also commended the initiative, noting that it would enhance morale and productivity across the civil service.
Many workers agreed that the gesture has brought relief and renewed confidence in the Okpebholo administration’s people-centred approach to governance.
Governor Okpebholo had, shortly after assuming office in November 2024, announced the implementation of the 13th-month salary for Edo State civil servants, a policy now being widely applauded as a strong signal of his administration’s commitment to workers’ welfare.
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