Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno, has explained that the recruitment of 4,000 additional public servants was necessitated by staffing shortages identified across the state’s public service.
Eno made this known during the orientation programme organised for the newly employed workers at the Ibom Tropicana Event Centre in Uyo, the state capital.
The governor revealed that shortly after assuming office, his administration conducted a staff verification exercise which exposed more than 2,000 ghost workers, alongside several retired employees who were still receiving salaries.
He explained that after eliminating the irregularities, the government identified the need to fill vacant positions and strengthen the workforce.
He said, “After blocking the leakages, it became necessary to recruit to fill the vacant positions and strengthen the service. There was a huge vacancy gap in the service, so we are not recruiting to bloat the service but to strengthen and make the public service more efficient for excellent work output.
“Governance is serious business to be undertaken by serious-minded people. So, the recruitment was done out of utmost exigency and available vacancies to strengthen the system to function effectively.”
Eno reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to the timely payment of workers’ salaries and gratuities, while appreciating President Bola Tinubu for providing states with funds to support infrastructure projects, salaries and other financial obligations.
The governor also urged the newly recruited workers to demonstrate professionalism, embrace digital technology and maintain good conduct in their dealings with members of the public.
He encouraged them to introduce innovative ideas and maintain respectful relationships with their superiors to improve service delivery and bring positive changes to the state’s public service.
“As our children, the reason we sent you to school was for you to come back with new and better ideas to transform the way we do things. We expect this crop of civil servants to be the brightest and the best that we have ever had.
“We expect you to be committed to your work; be passionate and transparent in the execution of your responsibilities,” he said.
Earlier, the Head of Service, Mrs Elsie Peters, praised the governor’s leadership, noting that his administration had introduced changes that had improved the state’s public service.
Peters also described the newly recruited workforce as highly qualified and commended the government for organising the orientation and training programme, expressing confidence that the exercise would further strengthen the service and enhance its performance.
