Edo Government has given 23 workers drawn from the state Civil and Public Service automatic promotion and N500, 000 each for their productivity and dedication to duty.
Speaking at the award ceremony held at the state government house in Benin on Thursday, Gov. Godwin Obaseki said a productive civil service was needed to fulfill the promises his administration made to the Edo people.
He said the 23 recipients made the 2016-2017 Edo Productivity Order of Merit Award List and congratulated them for being outstanding.
Obaseki announced an automatic promotion for the 23 workers to the next level in their civil service career and a cash reward of N500,000 each.
He said his administration was working to digitise the state civil service process and had completed plans to build the Edo Public Service Training Academy.
“The training facility will have 25 rooms to 28 rooms and will accommodate 1,000 people at a time.
“No public servants will be promoted, or receive increment, without attending at least one training session a year.
“We inherited a civil service developed during the analog era but today technology has taken over so we have to move from what we inherited into modernity,” the governor said.
Earlier, the State Head of Service, Mrs Gladys Idahor, thanked the governor for creating a harmonious relationship with workers and rewarding hard-working civil servants in the state.
Idahor said the governor was workers friendly and had previously promoted three officers who were diligent in their work not minding when they were last promoted.
Speaking on behalf of the awardees Mr Fedelis Ediagbonya thanked the governor for the awards pledging their readiness to do more and put in their best.
Present at the ceremony were the State Chairmen of the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress.