The Cross River State Government has opened a new opportunity for thousands of job seekers affected by the cancellation of the 2024/2025 Local Government recruitment, announcing plans to launch a digital recruitment portal within the next two to three weeks.
The portal will be used to recruit 4,000 fresh workers into the local government service across the 18 LGAs.
The announcement was made in a statement issued yesterday in Calabar by Secretary to the State Government, (SSG), Prof. Anthony Owan-Enoh.
 The SSG’s statement averred that the decision followed the consideration of a Panel of Enquiry report which found the previous recruitment exercise to be “fundamentally flawed.”
The panel cited lack of executive approval, job racketeering, and “institutional complicity, ineptitude, lack of transparency, and accountability in the process.”
Consequently, the government invalidated the entire exercise except for 821 personnel whose recruitment was duly approved by the governor and 83 CROSIEC staff earlier redeployed to the Local Government Service Commission.
 “All other persons who entered the payroll through unauthorised or illegal recruitment processes are hereby phased out,” the statement read.
Speaking on a radio programme in Calabar Friday, Chairman of the Local Government Service Commission, LGSC, Eyo Ekpo Esq., said the new digital window would ensure fairness and eliminate racketeering.
 He confirmed that those affected by the cancellation can reapply once the portal opens. “Nothing precludes those who have been laid off by this unfortunate but very, very necessary decision from reapplying,” he said.
Ekpo added that “the issue of what will be seen as compensatory is still being worked out” for victims of the flawed process.
The LGSC chairman said the Commission will deploy digital platforms and modern procedures to objectively determine staffing needs. The government has also directed the Attorney-General and law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute those culpable.
Reaffirming its commitment to building “a professional, transparent, efficient, and people-centred public service,” the government urged affected applicants to remain calm and take advantage of the new recruitment window when it opens.
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