Akwa Ibom State workers serving in Ministries, Department and Agencies with requisite teaching qualifications are to be redeployed to fill existing vacancies in the state educational institutions.
This was part of the resolutions reached on Wednesday at the State Executive Council meeting presided over by Governor Udom Emmanuel at the Executive Council Chamber, Government House, Uyo .
Briefing Government House Correspondents shortly after the meeting, the Commissioner of information Mr. Charles Udoh, explained that the redeployment would be supported with mouth watering incentives to encourage the workers to apply their skills in areas where their services are needed and advised them not to interpret the redeployment as punitive .
“…today Exco has approved the redeployment of officers with teaching qualifications in the public service, what that means is that workers, irrespective of the Ministry, with teaching qualifications that meet the standard required will be redeployed to teach in our various educational institutions.
\”…in doing that government is aware that they have to be encouraged with incentives and government has lined up packages for the workers that would be deployed \” he stated.
The Commissioner explained that the decision is to further boast the State government\’s free and qualitative education policy.
He added that the council has decided to grant waiver to workers who embarked on further studies without approval provided such studies is in education discipline and announced that embargo has been placed on transfer of service by teachers from the classroom to the mainstream civil service. This, according to Mr. Udoh is to encourage productivity in the school system.
Also speaking, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Dominic Ukpong, said that the council deliberated and approved the establishment of a health insurance scheme to address the health needs of the people and assured that implementation of the scheme would commence as soon as the bill is passed by the state House of Assembly.
Dr. Ukpong explained that with the scheme in place indigenes of the state will receive quality healthcare services at a minimal cost and emphasised that “people would pay as small as one thousand naira in a year and get treatment worth millions of naira\”.
Dr. Ukpong who also spoke of arrangements to forestall the spread of Corona virus, emphasized the need for personal hygiene such as regular washing of hands.
He said health officials are positioned at strategic entry points, with health facilities put in place to provide quarantine to suspected cases for further analysis.