Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, has charged permanent secretaries in the state civil service to uphold accountability, transparency and professionalism, warning them against executing questionable directives without verifying their authenticity and legality.
Okpebholo gave the warning on Monday while declaring open a two-day Strategic Leadership and Orientation Retreat for Permanent Secretaries, organised to strengthen leadership capacity, institutional performance and service delivery across the state’s Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
The governor urged the top civil servants to resist corruption, eliminate unnecessary bureaucratic bottlenecks and embrace innovation to ensure that government policies and programmes translate into measurable benefits for Edo residents.
Describing permanent secretaries as accounting officers of their respective MDAs, Okpebholo stressed that their positions carried significant responsibilities, particularly in financial management, due process and the prudent use of public resources.
“This is not merely a title; it is a clear duty for accountability, due process, proper record keeping, and ensuring that every expenditure delivers real value to the Edo people,” he said.
The governor specifically cautioned the officials against acting on purported instructions simply because they were attributed to him, insisting that every directive must be verified and subjected to established legal and financial procedures.
“Verify it. Confirm its authenticity. Ensure it complies with the law, financial regulations, and established procedures,” he warned.
Okpebholo noted that while political administrations come and go, the civil service remains the custodian of institutional memory, continuity and administrative stability.
He, therefore, urged the permanent secretaries to prioritise timely decision-making, accelerate the movement of official files, strengthen project monitoring and ensure that public services respond effectively to the needs of citizens.
Highlighting his administration’s reforms in less than two years, the governor listed prompt salary payments, the continuation of the 13th-month salary and an increase in the minimum wage from N70,000 to N75,000 among measures introduced to improve workers’ welfare.
He further disclosed that promotion arrears had been cleared, promotions were now conducted promptly, while thousands of workers had been recruited or regularised.
The governor also highlighted the introduction of EDO-PREP, aimed at strengthening performance management and capacity development, as well as EdoCloud, which supports the state’s transition to paperless governance.
According to him, merit, inclusion and institutional accountability remain central to the reforms, urging participants to use the retreat to exchange ideas and develop practical strategies for improving service delivery across the state.
Earlier, the Head of Service, Dr. Anthony Okungbowa, commended the governor for prioritising workers’ welfare and implementing reforms aimed at strengthening the civil service.
Okungbowa recalled that shortly after assuming office in November 2024, Okpebholo directed that workers’ salaries be paid on or before the 26th of every month. He also cited the introduction of the 13th-month salary in December 2024 and the subsequent increase in the minimum wage.
The Head of Service further expressed appreciation to the governor for approving 20 brand-new vehicles for permanent secretaries, describing the gesture as a demonstration of support for effective administration and improved performance.
He urged the participants to use the retreat to reassess their responsibilities and develop practical, measurable strategies for improving service delivery, stressing that the success of the administration’s SHINE Agenda depended largely on the effectiveness of the various MDAs.
Okungbowa challenged the permanent secretaries to identify tangible results their respective offices could deliver within three and six months, insisting that public office remained a position of trust requiring discipline, integrity and professionalism in the management of public resources.
He also welcomed the newly appointed permanent secretaries and urged them to uphold the core values of the civil service.
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