By Seyi Babalola
Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara has revoked the 10,000 positions in the State Civil Service granted by his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, stating that a new recruitment procedure will be carried out.
Before leaving office, Governor Wike allowed the immediate hiring of a large number of youths to cover current gaps in the state’s workforce.
However, at an interactive session with stakeholders in Port Harcourt on Friday, Fubara stated that he halted the recruitment because the process was defective and compromised by the people in charge of it.
He added that a more open procedure will begin shortly, but expressed disappointment that when the identities of individuals chosen from the 23 local government districts were examined, they were persons smuggled in for political favors.
Responding to a question, the governor stated, “I know that is the first question, the ten thousand jobs, When we came on board we already had details that were submitted to us from the 23 local government areas.
“You will agree with me that when we subjected those names to proper scrutiny, most of those names 60 per cent of those names were over-aged. They were names that people brought for political patronage.
“But what we are talking about today is employment for the future. I, personally after the analysis of those things, said ‘How will you employ somebody who is 52 years old as a civil servant?’
“How many years is the person going to work before retirement?”
Meanwhile, Fubara has said the social contract between his administration and the Rivers people will remain an unbroken bond to drive governance on a healthy footing.
