Gov Otu Lifts 25-Year Employment Embargo Cross River, Approves Immediate Employment of 2000

Governor Bassey Otu of Cross River State has lifted a 25-year embargo on employment into the state civil service.

Dr. Erasmus Ekpang, the Commissioner for Information, disclosed this during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Calabar.

According to Ekpang, the last mass employment in the state civil service took place in 1999. The governor has now approved the recruitment of 2,000 individuals in the first phase, which will span all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).

“The recruitment exercise will be implemented with immediate effect,” Ekpang stated. “The immediate past administration attempted to employ, but several flaws were identified in that process. The state civil service is almost depleted, and we are indeed happy that the governor has considered it necessary to recruit at this time.”

When asked about the possibility of implementing the N70,000 minimum wage, Ekpang noted that it would be considered at the appropriate time.