Recruitment: ‘No Slots For Political Godfathers’, Akwa Ibom Governor Warns

Akwa Ibom State governor, Pastor Umo Eno, has warned political godfathers and friends of government to steer clear of the recruitment exercise into the civil service, vowing that no slots would be allocated as every applicant would be selected on merit.

Governor Eno also explained the ongoing digitisation process of the public service aimed at guaranteeing e-governance status of his administration for ease of doing business and fiscal transparency.

Speaking at the weekend while unveiling Computer-Based Test (CBT) technology centre designed for the forthcoming recruitment exercise at the Idongesit Nkanga civil service secretariat, the Governor confirmed the readiness of the state to conduct the recruitment exercise, assuring that the facility has the capacity to accommodate up to 2,000 candidates daily.

He explained that the introduction of CBT in the civil service recruitment process was aimed at promoting merit, transparency, and efficiency while eradicating the influence of godfatherism.

“The Civil Service is the engine room of governance. The quality of people we bring into the service in this 21st century matters. The world has even moved to AI now, so we need people who at least understand basic computing to the extent that they can take an exam.

“This system will also eliminate godfatherism. People should have confidence that they got into the service by merit—by passing the required exams. We’re in the 21st century, and that’s the way it should be,” the governor stressed.

The State’s Head of Civil Service, Elder Effiong Essien, lauded Governor Eno’s determination to institutionalise e-governance regime, noting that “prospective candidates will be given the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the system before the actual test.”

Also speaking, the Commissioner for Science and Digital Economy, Dr. Frank Ekpenyong, assured that “the CBT Centre is fully equipped with digitally integrated systems to conduct 2,000 tests daily.”

He explained that the facility was designed in line with the governor’s vision of deploying technology to ensure transparency and merit-based recruitment into the state state’s civil service.

“Governor Eno’s initiative marks another milestone in his administration’s drive to modernise public service operations through digital transformation, further consolidating his commitment to the ARISE Agenda pillars of governance, innovation, and inclusivity,” he stressed.