Over 15,000 applicants fight for 3,000 A/Ibom civil service jobs

Over 15,000 persons have applied for 3,000 vacant positions in the Akwa Ibom State Civil Service.

Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, who announced this in Uyo during the monthly prayer service, said the process would be transparent and based on merit.

Stating that the selection would be based on computer-based test that would produce instant result, Eno said, “there are no slots, and there is no favouritism”.

Previous recruitment exercises in the state were marred by lack of transparency and favoritism that  generated anxiety among applicants.

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When the state government earlier  announced plans to recruit 3,000 civil servants, it said 1, 000 personnel would each be hired into the teaching and health sectors, and the core civil service.

The 2023 National Bureau of Statistics report pegged the unemployment rate in Akwa Ibom at 34.9 percent, while a study claimed that 52 percent of youths in the state are unemployed.

To help salvage the situation, the state government initiated employment programs for youths, including the ARISE Youth Employment Portal, the Dakkada Skills Acquisition Program, and other initiatives focused on job creation and empowerment.