The Edo State Government through the Directorate of Corporate Change Communication and Performance Management, has carried out its first and second quarter performance appraisals of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to assess the execution of Government Policies, plans and programmes, as well as how they translate into real impact on the quality of life of residents in the State.
Speaking at the appraisal sessions which held 19th September, 2025, at the John Odigie Oyegun Public Service Academy in Benin City, the Edo State Head of Service (HOS), Dr. Anthony Okungbowa, charged MDAs to embrace accountability and continuous improvement in line with the administration’s reform goals, stressing that performance reviews are no longer a ceremonial activity, but a critical process for driving the Governor Monday Okpebholo’s SHINE Agenda in Edo State.
The HOS emphasized that excuses would no longer be tolerated, adding that the government’s priority is to ensure results that improve the quality of life of citizens. According to him, MDAs that may not have performed optimally in the quarter still have the opportunity to improve in subsequent reviews, stating,”The era of taking actions without measuring impact is gone. We must interrogate the policies we implement, identify gaps, and make adjustments. This is not to embarrass anyone but to ensure we are delivering on our mandate and using the people’s resources judiciously.
”For those that have perform extremely well, double your drive. While those that did not, with this exercise, you are well aware of where to tighten your belts. Your targets should always serve as a reminder and point to you, which area to direct your attention towards. An MDA that may not have done well in this quarter can do better in the next quarter and that is the whole essence of this exercise. It is carried out so we interrogate what you have done, look at areas where you can improve. Together with the benefit of the experience that some of us have, generally we can help you achieve more than you have achieved. So please do not run away from it.
”And we are not out of line. This is the new way of evaluating performances and this is also happening at the Federal level, but we are taking it a step further; ultimately the SHINE Agenda of the Governor can be seamlessly implemented. And that is the whole essence of this. So, all of us can say truly, we played a part in ensuring that the Agenda of the Governor is executed. I am hoping that lessons learnt will be further interrogated and we can do better than we did today.”
Commending the Directorate of Corporate Change Communication and Performance Management for coordinating the exercise, the HOS lauded its Permanent Secretary, Dr. Joy Akhigbe and her Team, for driving a meticulous and data-driven process.
Dr. Akhigbe explained that the appraisal was designed to reconcile government targets with actual achievements, stressing that the reports would serve as reference documents for future planning. She noted, “Performance reviews must become routine as it involves clarifying mandates, functions, and key performance indicators, benchmarking targets against milestones, and reconciling data with appropriate agencies. This way, we build accuracy and accountability into the system. It may take a while to change things, but if we keep saying, one day it would be prioritized.”
Violet Osatohanmwen Obamwonyi
Public Relations Officer
Office of the Head of Service
Edo State
PHOTO CAPTION
Front Row (Left): The Edo State Head of Service, Dr. Anthony Okungbowa, during a session of the year 2025 Q1 and Q2 Performance Appraisals for MDAs at the John Odigie Oyegun Public Service Academy in Benin City.
