Governments, worldwide, are products of the collective will of the people. This is against the backdrop of the fact that the concept connotes the activity of a particular system.
In Nigeria wherein the presidential system of government is practiced, it allows for a tripartite government arrangement. In this, there is the federal, state and local government levels of administering the people’s commonwealth.
The transient nature of the Executive limb of government has among other things, exposed the guaranteed permanent status of the Civil Service which, due to the terms and conditions of contract in Labour Law with regards to the civil service rules, guarantees stability of tenure for career Civil Servants.
To this end, the Executive arm of government comes and goes, but Civil Servants remain until the 35 years of service which the law guarantees them as the retirement age. This tenure subsists with the confirmation of a worker appointment, except there is a breach of the contract of service, which invariably would lead to the termination of appointment of such worker
The Civil Servants otherwise known and called “Government Workers” or Public Servants”, constitute the main technical and professional hub of any administration, to the extent that for most times, the success or failure of such administration, be it military or civil rule, depend largely on this organ of government.
In Edo State for example, the government workers are been given their rightful dues as the engine room of the government and the Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki duly acknowledges this fact during the 2024 workers day which happens to be the last celebration he would be celebrating with the workers.
The welfare of workers with regards to their rights and privileges have often received priority attention from the government and it is a well-known fact in all areas of human endeavors, including the health, education, transport, commerce, agricultural and infrastructural sectors that the government has made indelible impact and all these are attributable to the role played by the workers.
The Governor hailed the outstanding contributions of workers in the state to the growth of the state’s Gross Domestic Products in the past seven and half years of his administration, noting that their commitment, and dedication in transforming the state deserves praise.
The governor said this in commemoration of the Workers’ Day, a celebration of the working class promoted by the International Labour Movement, marked every May 1.
“This is my last year in office and I dare say that I have had the best of time working with workers in Edo State. The experience has been exhilarating. I am happy that working with you all, we grew the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by over 140 percent,” the governor noted in a statement.
“It is no longer news that Edo State workers and pensioners receive their salaries before the end of the month. We thank the governor for the consistency and the precedence set for successive government to follow and we urge him to continue.
“Edo state has been at the vanguard of human capital investment and has collaborated with the trade Centers by paying a living wage in compliance with ILO standard and above the national minimum wage. In the last 7 years our state ranks highest in the payment of the minimum wage, while a lot of states are struggling to pay the N30,000 minimum wage.
“It is noteworthy that Edo state up till this time sustained her minimum wage of N40,000 and further paid 13th month salary at the end of last year as gift to workers in line with global best practices.
“Furthermore, at the commissioning of the Labour house on the 29th of April 2024 the governor further demonstrated his firm belief in Labour as a factor of production by increasing the minimum wage from N40,000 to N70,000. This is over 100% higher than the national minimum wage.
“Indeed, Obaseki has made Edo the heartbeat of comradeship, fair wage and a worker’s haven in our country Nigeria. We want to sincerely appreciate you for approving the promotion of workers up to January, 2024 and putting a policy in place to reduce years of promotion from 5 years to 4 years which consequently accelerates professional growth within the civil service.
“This gesture and show of good fate are unprecedented in our state. However, we wish to appeal to you to as a matter of urgency constitute the Civil Service Commission that will implement the approved promotion.”
There is no doubt that the administration is workers-friendly and has given workers their dues. The governor’s commitment to improve the living condition and welfare of workers in the state is in recognition of the importance and fair compensation for their hard work.
This is a significant approach to meet the needs of workers and ensuring that they are able to live a comfortable life because they are the engine room of the government
While prioritizing the welfare of workers through their living wage, the governor has expressed confidence that the minimum wage increase would not only benefit the workers but also contribute to a more prosperous and equitable society where those who work hard are rewarded accordingly.