Permanent Secretaries in Delta State earn a higher monthly salary than Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, according to a disclosure by the governor that has highlighted the disparity between his basic pay and the remuneration of senior civil servants in the state.
Oborevwori revealed on Thursday that he earns N503,000 monthly as governor, while Permanent Secretaries in the state civil service receive N900,000 each.
The governor made the disclosure in Asaba, the state capital, while inaugurating 12 four-bedroom terraced duplexes for Permanent Secretaries and presenting official vehicles to 12 newly appointed Permanent Secretaries.
He explained that the salary of Permanent Secretaries was increased by his administration after concerns were raised that some directors were earning almost as much as officers at their level.
“When the Permanent Secretaries said most of the Directors are receiving almost the same thing with them, we increased their money. Today, Permanent Secretaries… Your salary is 900, my salary is 503,000, Governor’s salary,” Oborevwori said.
He also disclosed that the state’s Head of Service earns N1m monthly, putting the monthly pay of the top civil service official above that of the governor.
“Head of Service is one million. It’s clear. So, you know some of them don’t want their husbands to know how much they are receiving,” the governor said.
Oborevwori said the disparity reflected his administration’s efforts to improve the welfare of civil servants and create better working conditions for public officials.
As part of the welfare measures, the governor said the state government had provided official vehicles to serving Permanent Secretaries to enhance their mobility and operational effectiveness, while the newly appointed officials were also being given vehicles.
“To enhance their mobility and operational efficiency, we provided official vehicles to serving Permanent Secretaries. And today, it is my pleasure to present another 12 vehicles to the Permanent Secretaries that were recently sworn in,” he said.
The governor said other initiatives had also been introduced to support public officers in meeting their personal and professional needs.
He disclosed that 302 public officers had benefited from the Public Officers’ Vehicle Loan Scheme, while 119 others had received support through the Public Officers’ Housing Loan Scheme.
Civil servants interested in agriculture, he added, had also received farm inputs to encourage them to establish additional sources of income while contributing to food security in the state.
Oborevwori further disclosed that 450 senior management officers had participated in a seven-weekend training programme organised in collaboration with the Administrative Staff College of Nigeria.
The governor said the appointment of 12 Permanent Secretaries in May was aimed at ensuring that all 25 local government areas in the state were represented at the Permanent Secretary level.
He dismissed suggestions that political considerations influenced the appointments, insisting that the officials were selected strictly on merit.
“The process was properly done. Not by saying, even the one that was appointed in my place, I don’t even know the person. All the Permanent Secretaries appointed, no one was recommended by anybody, but by merit,” Oborevwori said.
The governor also highlighted Delta State’s implementation of the new national minimum wage, saying the state was among those that acted early after consultations with labour and senior government officials.
He announced that civil servants in the state would begin receiving a 13th-month salary from December 2026.
“Not to forget that recently we approved the payment of 13th month salary for civil servants, beginning from December this year,” he said.
Oborevwori said his administration was preparing an executive bill to be forwarded to the Delta State House of Assembly to give the 13th-month salary legal backing.
“It might interest you to know that we are in the process of sending an executive bill to the Delta State House of Assembly to give this gesture legal backing,” he said.
“So, it is something that is compulsory. By the time it has legal backing, even when I leave office in 2031, they will still be paying you your 13th month salary,” he added.
The governor urged civil servants and political appointees to complement improved welfare with greater commitment to their duties, warning against absenteeism, nepotism, waste, inefficiency, bribery and corruption.
He said his administration would continue investing in infrastructure and facilities to improve the working environment and ensure that government resources were used effectively.
Oborevwori also appealed to the Permanent Secretaries who received the newly inaugurated housing facilities to take responsibility for their maintenance and security.
The disclosure comes amid an ongoing review of the salaries and allowances of Nigeria’s political and public office holders by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission.
RMAFC Chairman, Mohammed Bello Shehu, recently said the commission had completed an upward review of the remuneration of political and public office holders, with its recommendations awaiting consideration by the appropriate authorities.
Shehu said the review was part of the commission’s constitutional responsibility and was intended to align public officials’ remuneration with prevailing economic realities.
He also disclosed that the review of judicial officers’ remuneration had resulted in the Judicial Office Holders (Salaries and Allowances) Act, 2025, while the exercise covering executive and legislative office holders had reached an advanced stage.
According to him, an executive bill on the Political and Public Office Holders (Salaries and Allowances) Act, 2026, was expected to be transmitted to the National Assembly.
Shehu, however, stressed that any increase in public officials’ remuneration should be accompanied by stronger accountability and improved performance.
The RMAFC review comes months after President Bola Tinubu announced that he would donate the salaries he had earned since assuming office in May 2023 to support wounded soldiers and families of military personnel who died in service.
“What I need to do on your behalf is to announce a special account to be created today from all the salaries that I’ve earned,” Tinubu said in March 2026 while marking his 74th birthday.
“The Accountant General should establish an account to fund those men and women who stand in harm’s way, who have lost husbands and wives,” he added.
The most recently cited RMAFC figures put the President’s monthly basic salary at N1,171,568.20, although his total remuneration includes statutory allowances and other benefits.
