From Paul Osuyi, Asaba
The Delta State governorship candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC) and Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege, has promised to pay civil servants a 13th salary if elected on March 18.
Omo-Agege who made the mouth-watering promise during an interaction with the state workforce also pledged to restore their training and re-training privileges.
The engagement with the civil servants is the second in the last one month, with the latest coming after the candidate of the PDP, Sheriff Oborevwori and Governor Ifeanyi Okowa had separate meetings with the workers where N10,000 each was reportedly gifted to the workers.
The APC candidate told the workers that he would not give them N10,000, but that his administration would pay them 13th salary, adding that within six months of his government, all outstanding promotion arrears would be cleared.
“I heard Okowa is distributing N10,000 to the civil servants because he is desperate. The money is already in your account, take it, and he will be the one to account for it.
“I will not offer you N10,000 but instead, my administration will offer 13th-month salary, training and re-training privileges which they have deprived you.
“Within six months of my emergence as governor, we will clear all of those outstanding promotion arrears and thereafter you will be paid when due.
“I am making these offers because I would want the best civil service when I become the governor.
“I want a civil service where you will give your best. We would not want you to do private business during office hours. We would want you to concentrate on your jobs.
“I cannot do it alone, I need your support by voting for me,” he said.
The APC candidate reiterated his pledge to be fair, just and equitable in the management of state resources.
Omo-Agege said no section or part of the state would be neglected or marginalized on account of ethnicity, senatorial district or religion, saying that the challenges of the state transcended beyond primordial sentiments.
“I will be fair; I will be just and I will be equitable in the management of the resources of the state.
“No senatorial district, no ethnic group would be marginalised on account of ethnic nationality. We are all equal and we are all people of Delta.
“We will all receive our fair, just and equitable recompense. Every part of the state will receive adequate funding by way of development. No senatorial district will be punished on account of my emergence,” he assured.
Omo-Agege further vowed not to undo the policies and programmes of the outgoing PDP-led administration.
He reiterated that the recent domestication of the new retirement age for teachers by the Okowa administration would not be reverted if he is elected, explaining that he was part of the National Assembly that made the law for the adjustment of the new retirement age.
He also allayed fears that the three new universities established by the Okowa administration would be scrapped, neither would his administration revert recent employments as far such as recruitments followed due process.
“Some universities were established and they were established here in Delta and not outside the territory of the state. It is our institutions. We will not scrap those universities but they will be adequately funded.
“We are not here to witch hunt anybody, let me assure that we will not revert any employment that was duly carried out,” Omo-Agege said.