Governor Bassey Otu Lifts 25-Year Employment Embargo, Set to Recruit 2,000 Civil Servants in Cross River State
In a historic move, Governor Bassey Otu of Cross River State has officially lifted the 25-year embargo on employment within the state’s civil service, marking a significant milestone in the state’s development. This landmark decision was announced by the Commissioner for Information, Dr. Erasmus Ekpang, during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Calabar on Wednesday.
The state’s civil service, which has seen little to no recruitment since 1999, is set to be revitalized with the recruitment of 2,000 new civil servants in the first phase. Dr. Ekpang emphasized that the last major recruitment effort took place more than two decades ago, and attempts by the previous administration to fill the gaps were found to be flawed by the incoming government.
Governor Otu’s administration has prioritized this recruitment to address the critical shortage of manpower across various Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs). “As we speak, the state civil service is almost depleted, and we are indeed happy that the governor has deemed it necessary to recruit at this point,” Dr. Ekpang stated, expressing the administration’s commitment to strengthening the state’s workforce.
The recruitment exercise will commence immediately, underscoring Governor Otu’s commitment to creating employment opportunities and improving public service delivery in Cross River State. When asked about the potential implementation of a N70,000 minimum wage, Dr. Ekpang noted that it would be considered at the appropriate time, indicating that the governor is also focused on ensuring fair compensation for the state’s workforce.
