My salary is Just ₦503,000, Permanent Secretaries earn ₦900,000, HOS gets ₦1m — Delta Governor
Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, has disclosed that his monthly salary is ₦503,000, while Permanent Secretaries in the state earn ₦900,000 and the Head of Service receives ₦1 million.
Oborevwori made the disclosure on Thursday during the inauguration of 12 four-bedroom terraced duplexes for Permanent Secretaries and the presentation of 12 official vehicles to newly appointed Permanent Secretaries in Asaba, the state capital.
The governor said his administration increased the salaries of Permanent Secretaries after they complained that some directors were earning almost the same amount as them.
“When the Permanent Secretaries said most of the directors were receiving almost the same thing with them, we increased their money. Today, Permanent Secretaries, your salary is ₦900,000; my salary is ₦503,000, Governor’s salary,” he said.
He added, “Head of Service is one million. It’s clear. So, you know some of them don’t want their husbands to know how much they are receiving.”
Oborevwori said his administration had continued to prioritise the welfare of civil servants through various interventions, including the provision of official vehicles to Permanent Secretaries to improve their mobility and operational efficiency.
He disclosed that 302 beneficiaries had received support under the Public Officers’ Vehicle Loan Scheme, while 119 others had benefited from the Public Officers’ Housing Loan Scheme.
The governor added that the state government had provided farm inputs to civil servants interested in agriculture as a means of creating additional income streams and improving food security.
He further disclosed that 450 senior management staff had received support to participate in a seven-weekend training programme through collaboration with the Administrative Staff College of Nigeria.
Oborevwori said the appointment of 12 Permanent Secretaries in May ensured that every local government area in Delta State had a Permanent Secretary in the civil service.
He maintained that the appointments were based on merit, stressing that no individual was recommended to him for the positions.
“The process was properly done. Not by saying, even the one that was appointed in my place, I don’t even know the person. All the Permanent Secretaries appointed, no one was recommended by anybody, but by merit,” he said.
The governor also said Delta was among the first states to implement the new national minimum wage, adding that the state agreed to pay the wage in full after consultations with relevant stakeholders, including the Head of Service, Commissioner for Information and the Nigeria Labour Congress.
Oborevwori disclosed that his administration had approved the payment of a 13th-month salary to civil servants, beginning from December 2026.
He said the state government was preparing an executive bill to be presented to the Delta State House of Assembly to give the policy legal backing and ensure its continuity beyond his tenure.
“It might interest you to know that we are in the process of sending an executive bill to the Delta State House of Assembly to give this gesture legal backing.
“So, it is something that is compulsory. By the time it has legal backing, even when I leave office in 2031, they will still be paying you your 13th-month salary,” he said.
The governor urged civil servants and political appointees to shun absenteeism, nepotism, waste, inefficiency, bribery and corruption.
He assured that his administration would continue to invest in infrastructure and other measures aimed at improving resource optimisation, operational efficiency and service delivery.
Oborevwori also urged beneficiaries of the newly inaugurated duplexes and other residents of the quarters to ensure proper maintenance, security, preservation and cleanliness of the facilities.