Korede Abdullah 
DELTA,Nigeria – The Delta State House of Assembly has passed a bill seeking to give legal backing to the payment of a 13th-month salary to public servants in the state.
The Executive Bill passed its third reading on Tuesday during plenary presided over by the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Emomotimi Dennis Guwor.
The legislation seeks to institutionalise the 13th-month salary in Delta State, transforming the payment from an executive welfare initiative into a policy backed by law.
The Delta State Government said the measure would “further strengthen the welfare of the state workforce and support improved productivity and service delivery”.
The government also said the bill reinforces the administration’s commitment to improving the welfare of its employees.
The 13th-month salary in Delta State was introduced as part of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori’s administration’s efforts to improve the welfare of public workers.
With the passage of the bill, Delta State says it becomes the first state in Nigeria to establish a statutory framework for paying a 13th-month salary to public servants.
The legislation is expected to benefit thousands of state workers if enacted and implemented in accordance with its provisions.
By giving the payment statutory backing, the bill would provide a legal framework for the additional salary rather than leaving it solely to an executive policy or administrative decision.
The development is also expected to support the government’s wider focus on workforce morale and public service delivery.
However, the passage by the House of Assembly is a legislative step and does not, by itself, replace the requirements for the law’s final enactment and implementation.
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Mirian Gom 
Oluwatobi Adu 
