Cross River local government recruitment sees 4000 new staff hired, marking the first mass employment in 37 years under Governor Otu’s “People First” agenda

Cross River local government recruitment sees 4000 new staff hired, marking the first mass employment in 37 years under Governor Otu’s “People First agenda Cross River Local Government Recruitment Marks Historic Workforce Boos

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Cross River local government recruitment efforts have delivered a major turnaround in staffing across the state’s 18 council areas, with over 4000 new workers hired in the past year alone.

This marks the most significant employment drive in the sector in nearly four decades.

Chairman of the Cross River Local Government Service Commission, Mr. Darlington Eyo, revealed the figures during a media interaction in Calabar on Tuesday.

He emphasized that the historic recruitment was necessary to revitalize a workforce that had become alarmingly depleted over the years.

We inherited about 9000 staff statewide but only found roughly 3000 active. Ideally, there should be between 12,000 and 13,000 local government staff. So we made a case to the governo Eyo explained.

The mass recruitment, approved by Governor Bassey Otu, falls under his “People First policy’ — a cornerstone of his administration aimed at restoring public trust and delivering sustainable livelihoods to citizens.

“The governor saw the need to act immediately. He approved the process, and we’ve already recruited and paid over 3000 who met the requirements Eyo stated.”

While the recruitment process is still ongoing, Eyo noted that it is being handled in phases to ensure transparency, capacity-building, and financial sustainability.

The commission plans to continue strategic hiring until the 9000-vacancy gap is fully addressed.

The move has been widely praised as a bold and progressive action that not only addresses manpower shortages but also injects hope into the grassroots governance system of Cross River State.

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With the Cross River local government recruitment drive underway expectations are rising for improved service delivery and economic empowerment across the state’s rural communities.