Idongesit Mishael

Amid plans by the Akwa Ibom State Government to spend N26.91 billion on the renovation of Ibom Hotels and Golf Resort over two years, thousands of job seekers who participated in a state recruitment exercise have cried out over the prolonged delay in releasing the final list of successful applicants.

The concern was raised by a citizen, Ubong Christopher, who said the applicants had completed the Computer-Based Test (CBT), interviews and screening but were still waiting for the outcome of the exercise more than a year later.

Christopher’s appeal followed a report on the government’s plan to renovate the hotel facility, prompting him to question the continued silence over the recruitment process which, according to him, had already gone through several stages.

He said the applicants were not demanding preferential treatment but simply wanted the government to provide clarity on the outcome of an exercise in which they had invested time, resources and expectations.

“We have written the CBT, we have completed the interview, we have undergone the screening, and we have waited long enough. What exactly are we still waiting for?” Christopher asked.

According to him, behind the thousands of applications were young people seeking opportunities to become financially independent, support their families and contribute their skills to the development of Akwa Ibom State.

He claimed that some applicants had remained unemployed for considerable periods, while others allegedly turned down alternative opportunities because they believed the state recruitment exercise would eventually lead to employment.

Christopher said the prolonged uncertainty had left applicants constantly checking their emails and social media platforms for any announcement concerning the final list.

“We have been desperately checking our emails and social media sites every day, just to find out when the final list of those found successful in the screening will be released,” he said.

He appealed to the state government to publish the list if the recruitment process had been concluded, or explain the reason for the delay if the exercise was still ongoing.

“If the recruitment process is over, kindly release the final list of successful applicants. If there is a problem, kindly let us know. We need to know our fate once and for all,” he said.

Christopher also called for transparency in the recruitment process, insisting that the eventual selection should be based on merit and clearly defined criteria.

“We want merit and not ‘political fatherism’ to decide who works and who doesn’t work for the state government,” he said.

He stressed that the appeal was not targeted at securing employment for any particular individual, but was being made on behalf of applicants who had participated in the recruitment exercise and were still awaiting its conclusion.

“We are not asking on behalf of anyone that we know personally. We are asking on behalf of every young eligible applicant who applied, wrote the CBT and went through the interview and screening,” Christopher said.

The concerned citizen urged Governor Umo Eno and relevant authorities to bring the matter to a conclusion, saying the applicants remained hopeful but were becoming increasingly frustrated by the prolonged wait.

“We have waited long enough and we want our voices to be heard. We are still hopeful and not discouraged, even though we are tired of being kept waiting,” he said.