Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, has disclosed that he earns a monthly salary of N503,000.
According to the governor, his pay is lower than that of Permanent Secretaries in the state civil service.
Oborevwori made the disclosure on Thursday while inaugurating 12 four-bedroom terraced duplexes for Permanent Secretaries and presenting official vehicles to 12 newly appointed Permanent Secretaries in Asaba, the Delta State capital.
The governor said Permanent Secretaries in the state currently earn N900,000 monthly following an adjustment made by his administration after concerns were raised that some directors were earning almost as much as them.
“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 added that the Head of Service earns N1m monthly, while joking that some Permanent Secretaries might be reluctant to disclose their earnings at home.
“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 disclosure was part of his administration’s efforts to demonstrate its commitment to the welfare of civil servants and improve the conditions under which they carry out their duties.
He said the state government had provided official vehicles to serving Permanent Secretaries to improve their mobility and effectiveness and was extending the same support to those recently appointed.
“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 his administration had also introduced other welfare measures aimed at helping public officers meet their personal and professional needs.
According to him, 302 public officers had benefited from the Public Officers’ Vehicle Loan Scheme, while another 119 had received assistance under the Public Officers’ Housing Loan Scheme.
He added that civil servants interested in agriculture had been supported with farm inputs as part of efforts to encourage them to establish additional sources of income while contributing to food security in the state.
Oborevwori also disclosed that 450 senior management officers had benefited from a seven-weekend training programme organised through collaboration with the Administrative Staff College of Nigeria.
The governor said the appointment of 12 Permanent Secretaries in May was also designed to ensure that all 25 local government areas in the state had representation at the level of Permanent Secretary.
He defended the process used for the appointments, insisting that the beneficiaries were selected on merit rather than through political recommendations.
“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 further highlighted the state’s implementation of the new national minimum wage, saying Delta was among the states that moved early to adopt the wage after consultations with labour and senior government officials.
He also 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 disclosed that his administration was preparing an executive bill to be sent to the Delta State House of Assembly to give the 13th-month salary a legal foundation.
“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 maintain discipline and avoid practices that could undermine effective administration.
He specifically warned against absenteeism, nepotism, waste, inefficiency, bribery and corruption, stressing that improved welfare must be matched by better performance and service delivery.
Oborevwori said his administration would continue to invest in infrastructure and facilities intended to improve the working environment and ensure that government resources were used efficiently.
He also appealed to the Permanent Secretaries who received the newly inaugurated housing facilities to take responsibility for their maintenance and security.
The disclosure of Oborevwori’s salary comes at a time when the remuneration of Nigeria’s political and public office holders is undergoing a review by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission.
The RMAFC chairman, Mohammed Bello Shehu, recently disclosed that the commission had completed its upward review of the salaries and allowances of political and public office holders, with the recommendations awaiting attention from the appropriate authorities.
Shehu said the review was part of the commission’s constitutional responsibility and broader efforts to align the remuneration of public officials with prevailing economic realities.
He also disclosed that the review of judicial officers’ remuneration had already resulted in the Judicial Office Holders (Salaries and Allowances) Act, 2025, while the review 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 the remuneration of public officials should be accompanied by greater accountability and improved performance.
The RMAFC review also 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 had put the President’s monthly basic salary at N1,171,568.20, although his overall remuneration includes statutory allowances and other benefits.
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