UYO – The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Akwa Ibom State has raised concerns that about 5,000 civil servants could miss this year’s promotion exercise due to inadequate computer skills following the introduction of Computer-Based Tests (CBT) for promotion examinations.
State NLC Chairman, Comrade Sunny James, disclosed this on Thursday during the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Leadership Training Forum held to mark the first anniversary of the Comrade Nsibiet John-led executive at the NUJ Press Centre, Uyo.
James said that while the state workforce is estimated at about 30,000, nearly 5,000 employees remain “digidiots” and may struggle to meet the requirements of the new CBT-based promotion system introduced by the Head of Civil Service, Mrs. Elsie Anietie Peters.
According to him, the development could deny many workers their deserved career progression and associated welfare benefits, prompting the labour union to seek government intervention.
He revealed that the NLC had engaged Governor Umo Eno on the matter, urging him to temporarily suspend the implementation of the CBT policy to allow affected workers sufficient time to acquire basic computer literacy skills.
“We are not opposed to modernization of the civil service, but thousands of workers who have served diligently for years should not be disadvantaged because they lack digital skills. There should be a transition period and capacity-building programmes,” James stated.
The labour leader also appealed to the Commissioner for Information, Dr. Aniekan Umanah, to impress upon the government the need to organize intensive computer training workshops for affected workers to enable them adapt to the new system.
Responding, Dr. Umanah described Governor Eno as a leader committed to people-centred governance, highlighting achievements recorded under the administration’s ARISE Agenda in infrastructure, healthcare, education, agriculture, workers’ welfare and human capital development.
He assured that the government remains committed to improving the capacity of its workforce while pursuing reforms aimed at enhancing efficiency in the civil service.
The commissioner also commended the NUJ leadership under Comrade Nsibiet John for its achievements over the past year and urged journalists to continue promoting development-oriented journalism that supports nation-building.
Earlier, the NUJ Chairman, Comrade Nsibiet John, said the union had recorded significant milestones within the last year, including the absence of member detentions, litigation and deaths among journalists in the state.
He attributed the achievements to professionalism, unity and adherence to global best practices by members of the council.
