Val Attah’s demise: Governor Udom Emmanuel reinstates 403 sacked workers:
Governor Udom Emmanuel has reportedly reinstated 403 workers earlier sacked by the state government following government investigation into an illegal recruitment scandal which rocked the State Local Government Service Commission in 2019.
The Chairman, Akwa Ibom State Local Government Service Commission, Hon Monday Eyo, who dropped the hint in a media chat with our newsmen in Uyo, pointed out that the reinstatement forms part of efforts by the government to tackle unemployment among youths in the state.
The decision to reinstate some of the sacked workers came few days after the death of the sacked Chairman of the Commission, Dr Val Attah and Morenews.ng understood the decision may not be unconnected by the demise Dr Val Attah passed away last week.
According to Eyo, the 403 workers who are mostly health workers have been reinstated to increase manpower in the State’s health sector, fill vacancies left behind via retirements and to boost overall employment of Akwa Ibom youths.
“I wish to inform you that these categories of workers have been reinstated. They are health workers reinstated to increase manpower in the health sector. Their appointment letters have been signed thus beginning from the first week of November about 200 of them will commence work. Then by January, 2021 another batch of 203 will start work. The third batch of remaining 320 workers will be subsequently reabsorbed afterwards and that will complete the total number of 723 that their appointments were suspended,” he noted.
In a recent state wide broadcast, Governor Emmanuel announced that his administration will continue to roll out job opportunities as well as training programmes for youths in the area of entrepreneurship in order to engage them productively.
He said that the state would create over 1, 000 jobs for the people in the recently approved oil and gas free zone.
“Government is committed to continually engaging our youths in our developmental plans through job creation and other employment opportunities. In the next few weeks, we will commence our bold high-level skilled training employment programme tagged “Ibom 3000 Project”
He said that the state government would train Akwa Ibom youths, 3000 per quarter, and 3000 per Senatorial Districts in the following sectors: Oil and Gas, ICT, Agriculture, and Small and Medium Scale Enterprises.
According to him, the training will prepare our youths for over 1,000 jobs that will be created in the Oil and Gas Free Zone and other job opportunities in the ICT and e-commerce sector.
“My Entrepreneurship Goals Programme will start next week, which is another bold and decisive step taken by the government to provide needed education and skills in entrepreneurship so our youths may use the skills acquired to create jobs for themselves,” he said.
Already, various youth groups in the state have applauded Governor Emmanuel over his hope -inspiring announcements, pledging to support the government in actualizing these lofty ideals.
But a source, who confided in Morenews.ng, claimed the decision to reabsorbed the sacked workers was one of government’s moves to honour the memory Dr Val Attah who died while serving suspension occasioned by the alleged illegal recruitment scandal in Local Government Service Commission.
Many feared Dr Val might not have recovered from the shock and frustration that trailed his suspension.
Sir Val Attah’s was suspended in March last year by Governor Udom Emmanuel following his purported involvement in an unauthorised recruitment of workers into Akwa Ibom State Unified Local Government Service.
Attah’s suspension was to allow the State audit on the recruitment exercise, while appointments of those who benefited from the exercise were declared null and void only for the state government to take a u-turn and reabsorbed some of the sacked workers shortly after his death.
