Governor Bassey Otu of Cross River State has directed the immediate suspension of the recent recruitment exercise conducted by the State Local Government Service Commission.
The directive comes after investigations revealed allegations of corruption, gross misconduct, and widespread employment racketeering in the commission’s recruitment process.
This was disclosed in a statement issued on Thursday by Mr Linus Obogo, the Chief Press Secretary to the governor.
Governor Otu also approved the resignation of the commission’s chairman, Mr Darlington Eyo, following allegations linking him to the irregularities.
He further instructed that a fresh, transparent, and merit-driven recruitment exercise be conducted to guarantee fairness and restore public confidence in the local government system.
According to him, “I have set-up a special review committee to investigate the recruitment scandal and identify all individuals responsible for the malpractice.
“The committee is expected to recommend appropriate disciplinary and corrective actions in line with the administration’s zero tolerance for corruption,” the governor said.
Otu reaffirmed that his administration would not condone any form of impunity or abuse of office.
He further explained that transparency, accountability, and integrity are the core values of his “People-First” governance philosophy.
In addition, he assured citizens that all future recruitment exercises would be conducted strictly on the basis of merit and competence.
