Recently, the Delta State Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori presided over the swearing-in ceremony of Comrade Olumami Oyibo, Dr Akpoufuoma Pemu and Prince Mike Oputa, who were reappointed as members of the Delta State Civil Service Commission, as well as Mr Victor Okubor and Engr Juliet Aboloje, who were appointed as Permanent Secretaries in the state civil service.
Speaking at the ceremony, Governor Oborevwori charged political appointees and civil servants, particularly the newly sworn-in members of the Civil Service Commission and Permanent Secretaries, to uphold the highest standards of integrity, professionalism and merit in the discharge of their duties. While congratulating the new appointees, the Governor noted that their appointments reflected the administration’s confidence in their experience, integrity and proven records of service.
He said the reappointment of the three members of the Civil Service Commission followed the successful completion of their previous tenure and their subsequent screening and confirmation by the Delta State House of Assembly, which he described as a testament to their commendable performance and the trust reposed in them by the administration.
According to him, the appointment of permanent secretaries was strictly based on competence and merit, principles he said remained central to the ongoing public service reforms in the state. Governor Oborevwori explained that the appointment of Permanent Secretaries was a deliberate and strategic move aimed at strengthening leadership capacity within the civil service and positioning it for enhanced performance, adding that more Permanent Secretaries would be appointed in due course.
Governor Oborevwori described the civil service as the backbone of the government and the engine through which policies were implemented and development delivered to the people, stressing that no administration could succeed without a disciplined, professional and motivated workforce.
He charged members of the Civil Service Commission to continue to ensure that merit guided appointments and promotions, adding that they should uphold professionalism and guarantee fairness as well as equity in the treatment of all civil servants.
Addressing the newly sworn-in Permanent Secretaries, the Governor urged them to view their appointments as a call to higher service and an opportunity to make lasting contributions to the state’s growth and development.
“You must be effective team players, guided by honesty, dedication to duty and exemplary leadership. Lead by example with impartiality, diligence and commitment, setting standards for others to follow,” he said.
Governor Oborevwori reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to the welfare and productivity of civil servants, listing ongoing initiatives such as the construction of more residential quarters for Permanent Secretaries, regular and timely payment of salaries, clearance of pension obligations, implementation of promotions as and when due, expanded training and capacity-building programmes, and improvements in the work environment to boost morale and efficiency.
Responding on behalf of the appointees, Comrade Olumami Oyibo thanked Governor Oborevwori for finding them worthy of the appointments and assured that they would deploy their wealth of experience in the discharge of their duties to advance good governance and promote the growth and development of Delta State.
Meanwhile, the Delta State Government (DTSG) has expressed its readiness to further overhaul and upgrade health centres across the state this year (2026), in recognition of the critical role of healthcare in human existence. The Commissioner for Health, Dr Joseph Onojaeme, disclosed this recently while speaking on the giant strides recorded by the Ministry of Health in 2025, during a briefing at his office in Asaba.
Dr Onojaeme said the state currently has 441 Primary Health Centres (PHCs) spread across the three senatorial districts, noting that 150 of them were upgraded last year, saying “we are not resting on our oars; more health centres will be attended to in 2026.”
The Health Commissioner attributed the achievements to the commitment of the Governor Sheriff Oborevwori administration to strengthening the health sector, adding that world-class medical equipment had been procured for secondary health facilities across the state. According to him, the procurement of modern equipment has significantly reduced the cost of critical medical services, particularly dialysis.
“The Governor Sheriff Oborevwori-led administration procured world-class medical facilities in our secondary health institutions. This effort has helped to reduce the cost of dialysis from N70,000 to N45,000 in government hospitals,” Onojaeme said.
He further revealed that the State Executive Council (EXCO) had approved the procurement of three Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machines to serve the three senatorial districts, pointing out that “EXCO approved the procurement of three MRI machines for Central Hospital, Warri; Asaba Specialist Hospital, Asaba; and Delta State University Teaching Hospital, Oghara.
“These are high-grade machines that even some states do not have. In His Excellency’s wisdom, these procurements were approved, and by projection, we expect to receive the MRI machines in the first quarter of this year.” Dr Onojaeme also addressed the issue of manpower shortages in public hospitals, explaining that the state government had taken steps to recruit health workers to fill gaps created by retirement, death, or voluntary exit.
To curb the shortage of manpower in the state-owned hospitals as a result of retirement, death, or voluntary exit, he said the state government has employed qualified personnel to fill the vacant positions. The Commissioner assured that all ongoing projects in the health sector would receive adequate attention in 2026, even as he warned contractors handling projects under the ministry to strictly adhere to approved standards.
“All ongoing projects in the health sector will be attended to in 2026. Contractors must adhere to specifications and standards, or they should be ready to face severe sanctions,” he warned.
Speaking on the impact of recent health sector reforms, Dr Onojaeme said maternal mortality and under-five mortality rates had reduced significantly in the state, while routine immunisation programmes had been sustained to prevent disease outbreaks.
“Following the reforms in our healthcare services, maternal mortality and under-five mortality have reduced. Regular immunisation has been sustained to avoid outbreaks of diseases,” he said, just as he emphasised that the Oborevwori administration’s health reforms go beyond infrastructure and equipment to include the welfare of health workers.
“We are not just into infrastructure upgrade and equipping. We are also focusing on human resources for health. The areas of corrected remuneration were approved about six weeks ago, and payments were made about two weeks ago.
“The minimum a doctor received was not less than N500,000, while the highest received about N1.8 million. This reverse remuneration approach is deliberate and reflects our commitment to the welfare of health workers who man our facilities,” he explained.
Onojaeme urged Deltans to take advantage of the improved healthcare services by going for routine medical check-ups and maintaining healthy lifestyles as a way of preventing deadly diseases, saying, “Routine medical check-ups and healthy living are key to keeping deadly diseases in check. We encourage all Deltans to make this a habit.”