The Delta State Government has inaugurated a powerful sub-committee on Contemporary Remuneration Matters to urgently address mounting complaints over minimum wage implementation, the impact of the new tax law, and other welfare challenges facing public and civil servants.
Head of Service, Dr. (Mrs.) Mininim Oseji, performed the inauguration in Asaba on Thursday, charging the team to deliver concrete recommendations within six months.
The sub-committee is a specialised arm of the larger Committee on Trade Unions, Professional Associations, and Other Personnel Matters, which Dr. Oseji also chairs.
Speaking at the event, the Head of Service appealed to trade unions, professional bodies and aggrieved workers to shelve any planned industrial action and instead engage constructively with the new panel.
“Exercise patience. Bring your grievances, payslips, promotion letters and other relevant documents to the sub-committee so we can resolve these issues amicably and speedily,” she said.
She named Mr. Wilson Chukwuka, a Permanent Secretary, as chairman of the sub-committee. Other members are Mr. Kingsley Olomukoro, Sir David Onokpe, Mr. Benson Oburoh, Mr. Bright Agbogun, with Mr. Andrew Ajari served as secretary.
The panel’s terms of reference include:
Collating and articulating workers’ feedback on the implementation of the new tax law,
Receiving and assessing reports on minimum wage compliance,
Benchmarking Delta State’s pay structure against federal rates and those of neighbouring states
Identifying grey areas and advising the Head of Service on appropriate interventions.
In a related development, the state government disbursed housing and vehicle loans to 34 public officers under its welfare loan schemes, also flagged off in Asaba.
Dr. Oseji urged beneficiaries to apply the funds prudently, avoid diversion, and work towards increasing their legitimate sources of income to ensure timely repayment.
She commended Governor Sheriff Oborevwori for consistently prioritising workers’ welfare and expressed optimism that more funding would be made available to expand the schemes.
Permanent Secretary Wilson Chukwuka praised the Head of Service for enforcing strict due diligence in loan processing and cautioned civil servants against lobbying or attempting to influence approvals.
One of the beneficiaries, Mr. Dennis David Dennis, thanked Governor Oborevwori and Dr. Oseji for the gesture and pledged to use the facility responsibly.
