Gov Emmanuel Reinstates 403 Sacked Workers

… announces various job opportunities for A’Ibom youths

Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State has reinstated 403 workers earlier sacked following government investigation into an illegal recruitment scandal which rocked the State Local Government Service Commission in 2019.

The reinstatement forms part of efforts by government to tackle unemployment among youths in the state.

This was made known by the Chairman, Akwa Ibom State Local Government Service Commission, Honourable Monday Eyo,in a media chat with our newsmen in Uyo, yesterday.

According to Eyo, the 403 workers who are mostly health workers have been reinstated to increase manpower in the State’s health sector, fill vacancies left behind via retirements and to boost overall employment of Akwa Ibom youths.

“I wish to inform you that these category of workers have been reinstated. They are health workers reinstated to increase manpower in the health sector. Their appointment letters have been signed thus beginning from first week of November about 200 of them will be commence work. Then by January, 2021 another batch of 203 will start work. The third batch of remaining 320 workers will be subsequently reabsorbed afterwards and that will complete the total number of 723 that their appointments were suspended.”

In a recent state wide broadcast, Governor Emmanuel announced that his administration will continue to roll out job opportunities as well as training programmes for youths in the area of entrepreneurship in order to engage them productively.

He said that the state would create over 1, 000 jobs for the people in the recently approved oil and gas free zone.

“Government is committed to continually engaging our youths in our developmental plans through job creation and other employment opportunities. In the next few weeks, we will commence our bold high-level skilled training employment programme tagged “Ibom 3000 Project”

He said that the state government would train Akwa Ibom youths, 3000 per quarter, and 3000 per Senatorial Districts in the following sectors: Oil and Gas, ICT, Agriculture, and Small and Medium Scale Enterprises.

According to him, the training will prepare our youths for over 1,000 jobs that will be created in the Oil and Gas Free Zone and other job opportunities in the ICT and e-commerce sector.

“My Entrepreneurship Goals Programme will start next week, which is another bold and decisive step taken by the government to provide needed education and skills in entrepreneurship so our youths may use the skills acquired to create jobs for themselves,” he said.

Already, various youth groups in the state have applauded Governor Emmanuel over his hope -inspiring announcements, pledging to support government in actualizing these lofty ideals.

Speaking with our reporter, Mr. Darlington Udobong, the Secretary General of Akwa Ibom Liberation Movement, AILM, a foremost sociopolitical group in the state thanked the governor for rolling out several job opportunities for youths in addition to those already provided via key industrial concerns thriving in the state.

“We commend Governor Emmanuel for his focused and result oriented leadership of the state. We are particularly encouraged by his recent announcement of creating more job opportunities aimed at giving youths where to eke out a living. These are very commendable efforts despite the current difficult global economic climate.
“At AILM, we pledge to support these laudable initiatives and contribute our quota through advocacy to ensure they all succeed.”