Jonathan said this on Wednesday when he inaugurated the Edo State Civil Service Secretariat Complex on Sepele Road, Benin.
He said, before now, civil servants have been going home with salaries that couldn’t take them home.
“Initially, when I read in the papers that you proposed to pay N70,000 minimum wage, I was also worried if this my good friend will be able to pay.
“To be a leader, especially a political leader, you must be somebody who has vision.”
He added, ”If you have vision, no matter how challenging it is, you will find a way to do well. ”
The former president, who also commended Edo governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki, for giving automatic employment to first class graduates in the state, thanked him for encouraging the best brains in the state.
“In some states, governors are busy encouraging criminals because of politics, people that will rig election for them, carry ballot boxes, carry knives and cutlasses to pursue people. But, you are encouraging the best brains in Edo.
“The brains you have provided automatic employment to didn’t come from one political party, the brains come from all the political parties,
“The brains came from those who are supporting all the candidates. You are not supporting these brains because you want to win election
“But because you want to build a state, and for you to build a state, you have to build the people,” he said.
Jonathan, however, called on undergraduates in the state to become more serious with their academics to be able to come out with first class and secure an automatic employment in state.
“Those who are undergraduates should struggle to make First Class degrees instead of going to join cult gangs, drinking alcohol and raping women.
“You should try to make good grades. So, if you have opportunity to go to school, take your school seriously”, he added.
Jonathan who also performed the foundation laying ceremony of a 1,500-capacity auditorium for civil servants within the premises of the secretariat commended Obaseki for being a visionary leader.
He noted that a visionary leaders would always prioritise the welfare of its workforce to boost governance.
“Listening to the history of the secretariat complex, I now know the power of vision. It takes somebody who wants to give his best to his people to do that.
“Where you are working needs to be clean. Human beings need to work in a comfortable environment.
“Thank you for providing this befitting secretariat. You do not have this setting so common in Nigeria.
“This is one of the best. It takes someone with vision to provide this type of edifice,” he said.
Earlier in his remarks, Obaseki said it became important to upgrade the workplace, personalities and capacity of public servants and the public service for maximum productivity.
“That is why we have damned all consequences to upgrade our public infrastructure to global standard.
“When we started the project of these buildings, many people did not see the big pictures.
“I am very, very confident, that wherever Brig, -Gen. Samuel Ogbemudia of blessed memory is today, he will be proud that his dreams of building a secretariat complex such as this has been realised today, ” Obaseki said.
According to Obaseki, the buildings have been provided with 24-hour daily power supply from Osiomo power plant and high-speed optic fibre Internet connectivity.
