Governor Bassey Otu of Cross River State has suspended the ongoing recruitment exercise by the Local Government Service Commission following allegations of corruption, abuse of office, and large-scale employment racketeering.
The directive, announced on Thursday in Calabar, came after a review revealed significant irregularities in the recruitment process.
The suspension was contained in a statement signed by Mr. Linus Obogo, Chief Press Secretary to the Governor. In the same statement, Otu accepted the resignation of the Commission’s Chairman, Mr. Darlington Eyo, who was alleged to have been involved in the malpractice.
Commenting on the development, the governor said he had constituted a special review committee to investigate the scandal and identify those responsible for the misconduct.
“The committee is expected to recommend appropriate disciplinary and corrective measures in line with this administration’s zero tolerance for corruption,” Otu stated.
He further directed that a new, transparent, and merit-based recruitment process be instituted to ensure fairness and restore public confidence in the local government system.
Governor Otu reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to integrity and accountability, stressing that no act of impunity or abuse of office would be condoned.
“Transparency, accountability, and integrity remain the guiding principles of our People-First governance philosophy,” he said, assuring citizens that future recruitment exercises would be strictly based on merit and competence.
