The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has expressed the readiness of his administration to pay the N30,000 minimum wage, as provision has been made for the increment in the state’s 2020 Appropriation Bill.
The governor disclosed this when he received the Executives of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management Nigeria (CIPM) led by its President, Mr. Wale Adediran, at the Government House, in Benin City, the Edo State capital.
The CIPM presented the governor with an award as the Best Human Resource Practitioner in Nigeria.
Obaseki said the greatest asset of any institution is the people, which is why the focus of his administration is to build the capacity of Edo State workers and provide them with the right tools to deliver effective services.
According to him, “The greatest asset we have is our people. We need to develop, train and expose them to new tools for productivity to get the much-needed value from them. Therefore, we have committed resources to train and retrain our workers to bring out the best in them.
“We are building a world-class public service training academy with all the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) facilities provided. The center will can accommodate at least 1,000 people at a time. We have a training hub for 250 people as well as two others for 130 people each at a time. There is another hall for training 60 people fitted with ICT equipment. It is mandatory for workers of every cadre to be trained frequently”.
The governor said he is focused on institutional reforms for optimal productivity, noting, “Without strengthening institutions within the public service, noting is going to work.”
President of the CIPM, Mr. Adediran said the body is empowered by law to regulate the practice of human resource management in Nigeria.
He said the governor earned the award as a result of his developmental strides, especially in the area of human capacity development.
“Thank you for being an icon that represents a commitment to human capital development among other governors in Nigeria. The welfare of the workforce is what drives and motivates them to deliver more and we commend you because you are doing more in this regard, not only for those still working now but also for those who have retired from the system,” he said.
He said the body like to collaborate with the Obaseki administration to have a strategic capacity workshop for Officers who are directing the affairs of the State. “The workshop will provide additional tools and opportunities for workers to enhance their ability to help accelerate the good work they are doing already”.
Chairman of the Edo Chapter of the CIPM, Mr. Festus Awo-Osagie said the governor outshone other governors due to the various reforms in the civil service, including prompt payment of salaries, regular promotions, deployment of ICT in revenue collection, and improvement in working condition for workers.
