Akwa Ibom Approves N1.6 Billion Transport Refunds for Civil Service Job Applicants
- Akwa Ibom state has approved over N1.6 billion in transport refunds for 33,461 applicants who participated in the recent civil service CBT
- Governor Umo Eno announced that candidates who did not meet the cut-off mark would be enrolled in the Dakkada Skills Acquisition Programme
- Oral interviews for 12,000 successful CBT candidates were scheduled between January and February 2026, with 4,000 expected to receive employment letters in March
Akwa Ibom state has approved transport refunds worth over N1.6 billion for 33,461 applicants who took part in the recent Computer-Based Test for civil service recruitment.
Governor Umo Eno granted the approval after receiving a briefing on the outcome of the exercise from the Commissioner for Science and Digital Economy, Dr Frank Ekpenyong.
Source: Facebook
The governor, in a post on his official page on X, said the support was meant to ease the financial burden borne by applicants during the recruitment process. He noted that the refund of N50,000 per applicant was a gesture of fairness.
Uno said transport refund aims to support applicants
Governor Eno explained that applicants often spend significant amounts while attending interviews and tests. He said the state believed it was important to give them something in return for their efforts.
The CBT was conducted at the newly upgraded Civil Service Auditorium in Uyo. The facility now has more than 400 computers, improved network systems and stable power supply. Officials said the upgrade ensured a transparent and technology driven screening exercise.
The governor announced that applicants who did not meet the cut off mark would be enrolled into the Dakkada Skills Acquisition Programme. He said the civil service could not absorb all applicants but added that ongoing state projects required skilled manpower, making vocational training an alternative pathway.
Source: Facebook
He said oral interviews for the 12,000 candidates who scored between 50 and 90 per cent would hold between January and February 2026. He directed the formation of a committee to supervise the interview and final screening stages.
Recruitment timeline and future intake
Governor Eno said 4,000 successful applicants would receive employment letters by the first week of March 2026. He added that others who passed the test would be placed in a digital database and considered first during future recruitment within the next two to three years.
Earlier, Dr Ekpenyong said 37,314 people applied for the job openings, out of which 33,461 took the CBT. He said 12,502 candidates scored 50 per cent and above. He also noted that Persons with Disabilities received an hour instead of the usual 40 minutes for the test.
According to him, one PWD candidate scored 60 per cent while two top scoring candidates from the general category reached 90 per cent.
Eno approves 13th-month salary
Legit.ng previously reported that Governor Eno approved the payment of a 13th-month “Eno-mber” salary bonus to state workers ahead of the Christmas season.
The governor announced this in a post on his social media handles.
Having directed the state's accountant-general to disburse the bonus, Eno expressed optimism that the early payment would enable workers to celebrate with ease.
Source: Legit.ng
