Edo Workers Receive 13th-Month Salary, Laud Okpebholo’s Pro-Labour Policy
Civil servants in Edo State on Tuesday received their 13th-month salary, a move that has drawn widespread commendation for Governor Monday Okpebholo’s workers-friendly stance.
The development was confirmed by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr Patrick Ebojele, who said the payment underscores the administration’s commitment to the welfare of public servants.
He described the gesture as a deliberate policy aimed at easing financial pressure on workers and boosting morale across the state’s civil service.
According to Ebojele, Governor Okpebholo introduced the 13th-month salary policy a few weeks after assuming office in November 2024 and has sustained it this year as part of broader efforts to motivate workers and enhance productivity in the public sector.
“This intervention is consistent with the governor’s belief that a motivated workforce is essential to effective service delivery,” Ebojele said, noting that the payment would provide timely relief to civil servants, especially amid prevailing economic challenges.
Reacting to the development, civil servants across various ministries and departments expressed gratitude to the governor, describing the payment as unexpected, timely, and morale-boosting.
The Director of Orientation at the Ministry of Information and Strategy, Mrs Rose Imonikhe, said the alert came as a pleasant surprise.
“I woke up this morning, 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.
Imonikhe noted that the payment would significantly ease financial pressure on workers during and after the festive season, adding that many civil servants had already spent their December salaries.
“This will help workers enter the new year with something in their pockets. Those with children’s school fees to pay can do so without stress, and others who are renewing rents will also benefit. This 13th-month salary will go very far,” she said.
She also urged civil servants to reciprocate the gesture with renewed commitment to duty, noting that the governor is eager to deliver dividends of democracy through an efficient and responsive civil service.
Similarly, the Director of Administration at the Ministry of Environment and Sustainability, Egbe Jocy, commended the state government, saying the initiative would further strengthen morale and productivity across the workforce.
Many other civil servants echoed the sentiments, agreeing that the payment has brought relief and renewed confidence in the Okpebholo administration’s people-centred approach to governance.
Governor Okpebholo had shortly after assuming office implemented the 13th-month salary for Edo State civil servants, a policy observers say reflects his administration’s emphasis on workers’ welfare as a foundation for effective governance and sustainable development.
