Despite not declaring open employment into the core civil service since 2015, investigations have revealed that the state government has been recruiting employees secretly.
Correspondents gathered that employees have been resuming in various ministries, departments and agencies in the state without undergoing the any formal and public employment process.
Though the state Head of Civil Service, Mr. Effiong Essien has denied the development, applicants have come out to accuse the government of insincerity and double standard.
This is even as many commissioners and permanent secretaries have feigned ignorance about the recruitment exercise saying they were not privy to any notice or declaration of vacancies.
However, findings reveal that some top government officials and politicians use their connection to secure employment for their cronies while some applicants pay huge amount of money as bribe to some corrupt government officials to secure employment.
The officials, according to applicants who have parted with huge amounts of money to gain employment, receive between N200, 000 to N300,000 as bribe.
One of the applicants, Mrs Enobong Akpaah disclosed that she paid N250,000 to a top government official to secure a job but has not gotten the job.
“We are many who have paid money to get civil service job. I paid since April last year. Others who paid have resumed work. I am yet to get my employment letter.” She said.
“We have seen new employees coming for documentation in our office almost daily. They are required to report for documentation as part of the requirements for eligibility for payroll,” a source close to Head of Civil Service told newsmen.
The secret employment it was gathered is not restricted to the state Civil service but also carried out in the local government service commission.
Both the Head of Civil Service, Mr Effiong Essien and chairman, civil service commission have denied the ongoing secret employment admitting however that those being employed were selected from the data bank of those who had earlier responded to its advertised vacancies.
Addressing the press recently, Comrade Ini Ememobong also denied that the state government was recruiting but did not make any reference to new employees that had reported at the ministry of information and Strategy.
