By Samuel Ogenyi, Uyo
A former Head of the Civil Service in Always Ibom, Mr Sunny Akpadiaha has said that his recent resignation from office as chairman of the state Civil Service Commmission was not done in protest, contrary to rumours making the rounds in the state.
Akpadiaha said that his resigning from office was personal while he was not forced to resign out of pressure from Governor Udom Emmanuel.
His sudden throw-in of towel sparked some degree of suspicions in the state, with most people alleging rift between him and Governor Udom Emmanuel after it was rumoured that he disagreed with Emmanuel on the outcome of an idea earlier promotion interview conducted for some civil servants in the state.
Result of the promotion exercise showed that all the candidates were successful, a result which is said to have been queried by the Governor.
Sources say the Governor who was angry, demanded explanation from Akpadiaha on why all civil servants who took part in the promotion exercise passed the examinations.
It was also gathered that every explanation put forward to the Governor Akpadiaha did not pacify the Governor who accused the Commission of compromising to pass all the candidates, a situation that forced Akpadiaha to tender his resignation from office as chairman of the commission the following day.
But according to the former chairman,”my resignation from office on July, 2020 is on personal reason that should not call for any bad blood between me and my Governor. Governor Udom Emmanuel has a high regard for me as a person, and has never spoken rudely to me. I also respect him not only as a person but also because of the office.
“Having served in all positions I have been given to serve, I can say I have served government and if I had taken a personal decision and resigned from service, it shouldn’t cause any bad report against either me or the Governor.
“In my letter of appointment, I thanked the Governor for appointing me because it was not an entitlement as he could have appointed someone else. When he appointed me as Chairman of the State Civil Service Commission, I didn’t apply for it or go through political godfather. He appointed me on his own therefore there the story that I resigned my appointment in protest in totally false.” He explained.
However, on the conduct of the said promotion interview, he said that all civil servants in the state who were due for the promotion and recommended by individuals MDAs were shortlisted and interviewed.
“Nobody took bribe from any civil servant to pass him or her in that promotion interview. It is very unfortunate that someone could think I can descend that low. As always the standard, we held pre-promotion seminar for all civil servants who were due for 2019 promotion interview where we thereafter set different examinations for them according to the categories of staff based on job schedules.
“For people to go by sentiment that the Governor accused me or the Commission of taking bride is attempt by the millers of the rumour to create disharmony between me and my Governor as there is no such thing.” He said.
It would be recalled that weeks after Akpadiaha tendered his resignation, the state government ordered a cancellation of the 2019 promotion interview.
State Information Commissioner, Mr. Ini Ememobong said the cancellation of the earlier exercise does not in anywhere show that government was dissatisfied with the conduct but to give opportunity to those who missed out, who have been declared as ghost workers to be interviewed within with their colleagues.
“It is not dissatisfaction, it is a review and the question is can we make it better? No one can claim that any human activity is faultless but we are not saying that it was cancelled because of the integrity o the exercise, no.
“The executive council, not the Governor considered the report and looked at the high number of those who were absent and said, let’s give them a chance. People would still have complained if we went ahead to declare those people Ghost workers because that is the meaning.” Ememobong explained.
