PDP rejects Ayade’s planned civil service recruitment

‘…Cross River on precipice edge’

The governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Cross River state, Senator Sandy Onor, has described Governor Ben Ayade’s alleged plan to conduct recruitment exercise into the state civil service as “a voodoo exercise.”

He said with the state being at the edge of precipice socio-economically, Ayade should not embark on such venture but should instead restitute for alleged sins against the state.

Senator Onor, who said this during a press conference in Calabar on Friday, wondered why Governor Ben Ayade was planning recruitment at the twilight of his administration.

“Rather than chase shadows, Ayade should take deliberate efforts to restitute for his sins against the people of Cross River state for about eight years now. He still has a few more months to do this. I urge him to get into his closet and do some self examination before the end of his disastrous tenure.

“The out-going government has deceived our people enough. We have, for instance, spoken many times against moves by the governor to embark on last minute programmes and projects, including the plan to conduct a recruitment exercise into the state civil service in the twilight of this administration.

“At best, this is a voodoo exercise meant to curry favour from unsuspecting members of the public. It is one of the antics concocted by the present administration to buy the hearts of the people but unfortunately for them, our people are getting wiser,” he said.

Continuing, he said, “This exercise, if it holds, would end up laced intensely in nepotism, favouritism and sectionalism. It would be purely political and would not meet the genuine needs of the civil service. It is meant to rally troops for the 2023 elections and make the next government look bad by inflicting upon it a wage bill that is un-payable.

“The timing is wrong and the motive is completely mischievous and wicked, to say the least. Come to think of it, this government has not implemented any promotion since it came on board in 2015. Primary school teachers have not been promoted; there have been no incremental steps since 2016 and many primary school teachers are still being owed backlog of salaries.

“It is common knowledge that public primary schools in the state do not even have imprest; that is why the teachers use their money, and sometimes find ways of getting money from the pupils, to be able to buy lesson notes and even chalk.”