Cross River Gov’t announces recruitment into civil service

In a significant development, one of the governors in the southern part of the country, Bassey Otu of Cross River, has announced the end of a 25-year employment freeze in the state’s civil service, paving the way for fresh recruitment.

According to Information Commissioner Erasmus Ekpang, the last major hiring spree occurred in 1999, and the upcoming exercise aims to fill 2,000 positions in the initial phase.

The commissioner, who made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Calabar on Wednesday, said the recruitment drive will encompass all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) and will commence immediately.

Ekpang noted that the previous administration’s attempt to employ new staff was marred by irregularities, which the current government has addressed.

The state’s civil service has been severely depleted, making this recruitment effort both timely and necessary.

When questioned about the implementation of the N70,000 minimum wage, Ekpang indicated that this would be considered at a later stage.

In a separate development, Governor Otu expressed gratitude to the people of Cross River for their restraint during the recent nationwide protests against economic hardship. He particularly praised the youth for maintaining peace in the state.”