By Mick Oseji, Asaba
The Delta State House of Assembly has passed an Executive Bill seeking to give statutory backing to the payment of a 13th-month salary to public servants in the state.
The bill, which passed its third reading during Tuesday’s plenary, was approved under the leadership of the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Emomotimi Dennis Guwor.
Its passage is expected to move the 13th-month salary from an executive welfare policy introduced by Governor Sheriff Oborevwori’s administration to a provision backed by state legislation, subject to the law’s implementation.
The Delta State Government, in a statement issued on Tuesday, said the legislation would provide a legal framework for the payment and give workers greater certainty over the policy.
Speaking after the passage, Guwor described the bill as a significant step towards strengthening the welfare of public servants in the state.
He said the legislation would boost workers’ morale and productivity while reinforcing the government’s commitment to improving the welfare of its workforce.
The government said the policy was designed not only to support employees financially but also to encourage improved productivity and service delivery across the public sector.
With the passage of the bill, Delta State said it has become the first state in Nigeria to establish a statutory framework for the payment of a 13th-month salary to public servants.
The development could affect thousands of state government employees, as the additional annual payment would no longer depend solely on an executive policy but would have legislative backing.
The 13th-month salary is among the welfare measures introduced by the Oborevwori administration as part of its efforts to improve the working conditions of public servants.
The government said the legislation would “further strengthen the welfare of the state workforce and support improved productivity and service delivery.”
The Assembly’s approval of the bill marks a major legislative milestone for the administration’s workers’ welfare agenda and places Delta at the forefront of efforts to institutionalise additional benefits for public servants.
