Godswill Akpabio

Governor Godswill Obot Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State has made good his promise to empower his people, by approving the employment of 300 graduates into the civil service.

The action, which marks the first phase of a massive job creation scheme, would see 200 of the beneficiaries employed in the Grade Level 08 cadre; 80 in Grade Level 09 cadre and 20 in the Grade Level 10 cadre.

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A press release by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr Usoro I. Usoro, said more jobs are to be created soon in the civil service, “as a direct demonstration of Governor Godswill Akpabio’s responsiveness to the plights of Akwa Ibom people”.

The release read in part: “Akwa Ibom State civil service has lost numerous staff either due to death, retirement or resignation, particularly in the administrative cadre. Consequently, His Excellency, Governor Godswill Akpabio, has approved the filling of vacancies through creation of 300 graduate jobs, immediately”.

That, he added, is different from the different job opportunities expected to be created by the various projects executed or promoted by the government – like the construction of the Ibom Tropicana Entertainment Centre; $12 billion LNG plant in Mbo; refineries in Eket; $35 billion ExxonMobil gas-to-gasoline project, etc.

The state chairman of the Civil Service Commission, Obong Edet Akpainyang, had warned recently that the system may soon collapse as over 2,223 officers  were due for retirement – either on grounds of age, duration of service, etc.

“The red light is a warning for an urgent  need to recruit particularly into the professionals cadres, to avoid future problem of training for succession”, he warned.

Expressing worry at the fast rate in which the state civil service is depleting, the chairman said in 2007, over 561 officers left the service through retirement, death, dismissal, transfer of service and resignation.

However, Governor Akpabio, in a prompt response, directed the head of civil service, Mrs Grace Anwana, to take proactive steps towards absorbing and training about 1,000 officers into the service between now and next year.

The governor, according to Usoro, took the decision to show his commitment towards delivering on all his campaign promises, which include human capital development, economic empowerment, etc..

“The governor is fully aware of the yearnings of the people and, as a responsive leader, he is responding, promptly, to them. One way of ameliorating the sufferings of the people was the recent introduction of free and compulsory education for every Akwa Ibom child within the state”, Usoro added.