Delta State House Of Assembly, Passes 13th Month Salary Bill

The bill was approved during Tuesday’s plenary, presided over by the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Emomotimi Dennis Guwor, following the third reading of the proposed legislation.

Lawmakers had first cleared the way for the bill to be considered immediately by suspending the relevant standing orders. The motion for the suspension was moved by the House Leader, Hon. Emeka Nwaobi.

The Chairman of the House Committee on Establishment, Ethics and Privileges, Hon. Edafe Emakpor, said the legislation would move the 13th-month payment from a welfare policy to one with a legal framework. He said this would give workers greater certainty while supporting morale and productivity.

The Speaker, Guwor, described the passage as a significant step in the state’s approach to workers’ welfare and credited Governor Sheriff Oborevwori with initiating the policy. He said the measure would further strengthen the relationship between the government and its workforce.

If assented to, the legislation will provide statutory backing for the annual payment and establish a more permanent basis for the benefit. The Assembly said the move would make Delta the first state in Nigeria to have a law specifically providing a statutory framework for a 13th-month salary for public servants.

The development comes as the state government seeks to use improved welfare conditions as an incentive for better performance among its workforce, with the new framework expected to reinforce the payment as an annual entitlement rather than a discretionary benefit.