Taraba state Governor, Darius Dickson Ishaku has officially flag-off the first phase of issuance of employment letters to three hundred successful applicants into the state civil service.
The event which took place on Thursday, held at Jolly Nyame stadium in Jalingo, the state capital was in line with Ishaku’s administration commitment of fulfilling it’s electioneering campaign promises of providing job opportunity for the unemployed youths in the state.
Speaking at the occasion, Governor Darius Ishaku said that the first phase of the employment exercise was aimed at to fill in the existing vacancies to avert collapse in the state civil service.
Represented by his Deputy, Haru Manu, Ishaku noted that since inception of the state there has never been massive recruitment that caught across all the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) despite the massive retirements, deaths and voluntary withdrawal of service.
He added that it was based on the above fact that he directed the state Civil Service Commission to interview prospective applicants in 2017 where about six thousand candidates were fund suitable for employment and the list is in the commission’s data bank who promised to recruit periodically.
According to him, the three hundred that have been employed were duly selected by the commission in respect of the MDAs that are in dare need of manpower such as ministry of works, agriculture, housing and power, Board of Internal revenue and Bereaur for solid minerals.
Others are Taraba state Broadcasting Service (TSBS), Taraba Television Cooperation as well as admin and protocol department.
“The civil service as you all know is the engine room that drives the activities of government in the realisation of it’s objectives, policies and programs, be it economic, social or political.
In order for this administration to effectively and efficiently achieve it’s rescue agenda, the civil service must be transform and made more dynamic to meet the challenges of today”. Ishaku said.
The governor further revealed that his administration at inception had embarked on a bio-metric screening exercise to ascertain the numerical strength and financial status of the workforce, a measure that has enable the state government face out ghost workers syndrome with it’s attendant of over bloated salaries.
Governor Ishaku also explain that, the state government has developed training packages to groom the newly employed civil servants on the roodment of public service and strengthen their capacities in the implementation of government policies and programs to achieve the desired objectives.
He however congratulated the beneficiaries and called on them to be loyal, functual and take the employment with all the seriousness it deserve, while he commended the Chairman and members of staff of the state civil service commission for a tourogh job in the selection of the candidates based on merit, equity and geo-political representation.
In a remark, the Chairman Taraba state Civil Service Commission, Chief John Mamman called on the the newly employed civil servants to be functual and assured that the commission will organise an induction course as well as ensuring training and retraining to enable them get to know their duties for effective service delivery.
On her part, the Head of state Civil Service, Suzzy Jemmima Nathans (Mni) who saluted the patience of the beneficiaries explained that the state has suffered unemployment for a long period of time, pointed out that with three hundred successfull applicants the pressure on the civil service will be relaxed to a great extent and thanked the Ishaku’s administration as well as the Taraba state House of Assembly for making it possible.
She cautioned the new employed staff to always be in their various workplaces by 8am and close at 4pm, believing that when they take their job serious, they will be successful in life.
Responding on behalf of the beneficiaries, Umar Bulus Bello from the state ministry of Housing who described the gesture as a rare opportunity, appreciated Governor Darius Ishaku for given the youths a chance to contribute their quota to the development of the state and pledged their allegiance, commitments and loyalty to the state civil service.
He also explained their injection into the state civil service will go a long way in affecting the livelihood of their families, friends and the community as a whole.
