The Office of the Head of Service (OHOS) has honoured its staff in recognition of their outstanding performance during the 2025 End-of-Year Staff Award Ceremony to celebrate excellence and dedication in the Edo State Civil and Public Service.
The ceremony, which was themed, “Honouring Performance, Inspiring Progress,” featured the presentation of awards to deserving staff members with Mr. Enehikhare Akenzua emerging as the Best Staff of the Year 2025, while Mr. Victory Aganmwonyi and Mr. Eric Esebameh were announced as first and second runners-up, respectively. New award categories were introduced in the 2025 edition, including the Head of Service (HOS) Merit Award, which was conferred on Mr. Kingsley Ireotoi.
In the Long Service Award category, honours were bestowed on Mr. David Oghenekevwe, Mr. Friday Idada, and Ms. Tejumola Elizabeth Ogunlaja. Other HOS Special Awards were presented to Ms. Ivie Ojezua, Ms. Violet Osatohanmwen Obamwonyi, Mrs. Patience Omobude, and Ms. Adesuwa Eke, who clinched first, second, third and fourth positions respectively.
Speaking at the ceremony, the HOS, Dr. Anthony Okungbowa, commended the permanent secretaries, directors and staff for their dedication, passion and unwavering support in driving the goals of the OHOS. He described 2025 as a year of remarkable accomplishments for the Service, noting that the achievements recorded were collective milestones rather than individual successes.
“Every one of you has done excellently well. Our assignment here is strategic. We are like captains steering a ship or conductors in an orchestra, pivotal and impactful at every point in time,” Dr. Okungbowa said.
The HOS noted that the commitment of staff helped the Office earn accolades and recognition as a key driver of the Governor’s SHINE Agenda. He expressed gratitude to the Governor, Sen. Monday Okpebholo, for his continued support for the Civil and Public Service, citing the Governor’s swift approval of the EdoPREP initiative as evidence of his commitment to strengthening institutional capacity.
Highlighting the importance of innovation, the HOS stated that many of the reforms introduced were driven by creative thinking and new ideas, saying, “Ideas rule the world. Success for us must be innovation-driven. That is why the 35 EdoPREP modules were specially designed to achieve things that had never been done before in the Service.”
In a brief lecture titled, “Who I Am as a Civil Servant,” the HOS outlined the core values expected of public officers to include integrity, impartiality, professionalism, responsiveness, accessibility, transparency, accountability, neutrality and loyalty. He charged officers to remain supportive of the Government of the day, noting that citizens’ perception of government is largely shaped by their interactions with civil servants.
In his review of the Office’s 2025 performance, the Functioning Permanent Secretary, Mr. Edwin Edioweme, commended the Governor for his consistent support and praised the effective leadership of the HOS.
He described 2025 as a year marked by structural reforms and institutional strengthening, listing key achievements to include the development of 35 modules under EdoPREP, the organisation of the first Agenda-Setting Meeting, the expanded Edo State Government Breakfast Meeting, onboarding exercises for newly hired staff, promotion training and evaluation exercises, and the composition of the first Edo State Civil Service Anthem.
Other milestones, according to him, included the creation of organograms for new ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs), the EdoPREP sensitisation tour across five MDAs, the first Innovation Pitching Exercise which generated over 75 innovative ideas, and the development of Civil Service publications such as the Service Chronicles and the Service Insights, the establishment of an Editorial Board and the introduction of a Public Service Wellness and Fitness Programme, among others.
In his welcome address, the Functioning Director of Shared Services, Mr. Benard Otamere, commended staff members for their dedication and encouraged them to sustain the spirit of excellence.
The outgoing Best Staff of the Year 2024, Ms. Teju Elizabeth Ogunlaja, described her recognition as meaningful, noting that it affirmed the value of commitment, teamwork and consistency.
In his vote of thanks, the Best Staff of the Year 2025, Mr. Enehikhare Akenzua, expressed gratitude to God and appreciated the leadership of the OHOS for the opportunity to grow and handle challenging responsibilities.
He pledged that the coming year would record even greater accomplishments, adding that the Office would continue to work towards placing Edo State in the limelight it deserves.
Get a premium automobile insurance coverage for your vehicle for as low as #15000 only and claim up to #3,000,000 in damages @Zenith Insurance To signup: WhatsApp/Call: +2349028313757
