Employment scandal: Applicants chides A'Ibom govt over secret employment in civil service

 

Theresa Donatus, Uyo

Unemployed Akwa Ibom people have  recently said that the employment of 1000 primary school teachers and 1000 secondary teachers was a far cry from any attempt to fill the vacuum created by retirement and bereavement in the past seven years. 

Despite not declaring open employment into the core civil service for over seven years now, investigations have revealed that the state government is secretly recruiting employees.

Akwa Ibom people have therefore decried daily appearances of fresh persons recruited into the various ministries of government without due process.

Findings revealed that employees have been resuming in various ministries, departments and agencies in the state without undergoing the any formal employment process.

Though the government through the Head of the State Civil Service, Mr. Effiong Essien has denied the development, applicants have come out to accuse the government of insincerity and double standards.

Many of the commissioners and permanent secretaries have  feigned ignorance about the recruitment exercise saying they were not privy to any notice or declaration of vacancies.

However, findings reveal that some top government officials and politicians use their connection to secure employment for their cronies while some applicants pay huge amount of money as bribe to some corrupt government officials to secure employment.

The officials, according to applicants who have parted with huge amounts of money to gain employment, receive between N200, 000 to N300,000 as bribe.

One of the applicants, Mrs Enobong Akpaah disclosed that she paid N250,000 to a top government official to secure a job but has not gotten the job.

Mr Paul Ekpene also an applicant said he  paid N200,000 to balance N50,000 on resumption of work as a civil servant since May 2021 but up till now, some of the people who paid same time with him have resumed work and he was asked to exercise patient.

"We are many who have paid money to get civil service job. I paid since April last year. Others who paid have resumed work. I am yet to get my employment letter", she said.

"A top politician asked me to pay N250,000, I paid N200,000 to balance 50000 when I get the job, since May 2021, up till today, If I call him, he will not pick my call but reply to exercise patient". Ekpene added

The investigation further revealed that the new employees are said to have been employed through the connection of top politicians close to the government adding that the approval for employment is usually signed with special biros in distinctive colour.

"We have seen new employees coming for documentation in our office almost daily. They are required to report for documentation as part of the requirements for eligibility for payroll," a source close to Head of Civil Service told our reporter.

It  was further gathered that the secret employment is not restricted to the state Civil service but it was also being carried out in the local government service commission and even federal agencies in the state.

Another source told our correspondent that "an employee recently came to be registered in our organisation as a professional member and we found out that the person has just been employed by the University."

Both the Head of Civil Service, Mr Effiong Essien and  chairman,  civil service commission have denied the ongoing secret employment admitting however that those being employed were selected  from the data bank of those who had earlier responded to its advertised vacancies.

Addressing the press recently, Comrade Ini Ememobong also denied that the state government was recruiting but did not make any reference to new employees that had reported at the ministry of information and Strategy.