Promotion: 5, 000 A/Ibom Workers Face Stagnation Over Computer Illiteracy-NLC

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Akwa Ibom State branch has disclosed that 5,000 employees out of a total of 30,000 workforce may not be rewarded with yearly promotions in different cadres due to being computer illiterates.

LEADERSHIP recalls that the new Head of the Civil Service (HoS), Mrs. Elsie Anietie Peters, has introduced Computer Based Test (CBT) system for the workers’ yearly promotion examinations.

But speaking at a leadership training forum marking the first anniversary of the Comrade Nsibiet Udo John – led Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) , EXCO at the Press Centre, Information Drive, Uyo, the State NLC Chairman, Comrade Sunny James, lamented that 5,000 of the workforce may not scale through the promotion process because of not being computer – compliant.

Worried by the problem which could render the about 5,000 members of the NLC in government employ stagnated, James stated that the union, was promted to move against the policy, at least, for now to give room for the affected workers to acquire the computer know – how.

James, therefore, told the forum that he was pushed to meet with the Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, to intervene, by shelving the new civil service innovation to later date.

He pleaded with the Commissioner for Information, Dr. Aniekan Umanah, who doubles as the keynote speaker at the summit, help impress it on the government to mount computer – based training workshops for the affected workers in order not to be left behind in promotions and welfare packages while serving the government.

However, Umanah, described described the governor as running a democracy with a human face, and reeled key socio-economic interventions in various sectors of human capital development, infrastructure, health, education, workers welfare and food sufficientcy as captured in the ARISE Agenda blueprint of government.

While lauding the achievements of the NUJ EXCO under Comrade John, in the last one year, tasked the leadership to prioritize the welfare of workers, especially in the area of housing and accommodations for Journalists.

He recalled that his boss, the governor has been extending his hands of fellowship to the union since inception three years ago and urged practicing members to reciprocate by avoiding adverserial journalism to break the society as opposed to development reportage that builds the nation.

The NUJ chairman, while welcoming the participants including chapel leaders, former Council Chairmen and resource persons – former Speaker of the State House of Assembly, who later represented Ethan Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives; Comrade Iniobong Ememobong, National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and other government officials, noted that his stint in the last one year has been eventful with no heavy hazards detention of members, Court actions and deaths, attributing this to strict adherent to professionalism by members.