Cross river commissioner nominees to take aptitude test

Firstclass newsline gathered that cross River State Governor, Prof.
Ben Ayade, on Monday, said that nominees for appointments as
commissioners in the state will undergo a mandatory integrity and
aptitude test.
The governor, in statement through his Chief Press Secretary, Mr.
Christian Ita, said the nominees would have to undergo the aptitude
test before their names would be forwarded to the state House of
Assembly for confirmation.
Ayade also on Monday terminated the contract of firms handling the
evacuation of refuse in Calabar metropolis for not living up to their
responsibilities.
In the statement on the commissioner nominees, the governor disclosed
that the appointment of chairmen and members of boards, agencies and
parastatal and even special advisers would follow the same routine.
The statement read, "His Excellency, Prof. Ben Ayade, wants all the
nominees for appointments as commissioners to undergo an integrity
test. Additionally, the nominees would also write an aptitude test."
According to the statement, the governor is of the belief that every
would-be appointee in the state must be subjected to ethical test to
ascertain whether or not they could function in the new order, where
accountability and transparency are the watchwords.
Members of the committee to conduct the test on the nominee included
Mr. Paul Erokoro, an Abuja-based lawyer, who will serve as chairman,
while the Chief of Staff to the governor, Mr. Martin Orim, and Mrs.
Grace Ekanem will serve as members.
Speaking on termination of the refuse contract, Ayade expressed
disappointment over the level of evacuation by the firms in
Calabar-South and some parts of Calabar municipality.
He said government would no longer tolerate the inadequacies of the
contractors, stating the readiness of his administration to take over
the evacuation exercise forthwith.
The governor directed the Secretary to the State Government, Mrs. Tina
Agbor, to meet with the affected contractors and convey his
administration's position to them.
He consequently announced that the Calabar Urban Development Authority
would henceforth be responsible for the evacuation of refuse in the
city.
Ayade said, "There are two major contractors but the contractor in
charge of Calabar-South is always implicated each time I inspect the
area. Sometimes, I drive silently without anybody knowing to the
sites, and this is what I get each time I embark on such trips.
"This is totally unacceptable. I have tolerated him for four months
now, but I cannot take it anymore because we must fix this city and
give it its befitting right of place."
Firstclassnewsline.net