The Cross River State Head of Service, Mr. Orok Bassey Okon, has held a strategic meeting with the Personnel Audit/Verification Committee to assess the progress of the ongoing verification exercise and address key operational challenges encountered during implementation.
The meeting focused on critical issues affecting the smooth conduct of the process, particularly complaints from civil and public servants who have been unable to receive verification codes required to complete their registration.
Speaking during the session, the Head of Service explained that preliminary assessments suggest many of the affected cases involve individuals receiving salaries from more than one source. According to him, such instances may include persons who are both pensioners and political office holders, or beneficiaries of multiple government payrolls. He noted that these cases require additional scrutiny to ensure the integrity and credibility of the personnel audit.
The Committee also deliberated on concerns regarding compulsory fields on the verification platform, especially those marked with asterisks (*), which users reported as posing challenges during registration. In response, the Head of Service directed the consultants managing the verification platform to review the identified issues and implement necessary adjustments to improve the system’s efficiency and user-friendliness.
Barr. Okon reiterated the State Government’s commitment to conducting a transparent, credible, and comprehensive personnel audit that will strengthen the efficiency of the public service, while ensuring that all genuine concerns raised by workers are promptly addressed.
He encouraged civil and public servants to remain cooperative throughout the exercise and to utilize the complaint interface on the verification portal to report any challenges requiring resolution.
He reaffirmed his office’s dedication to ensuring that the verification exercise achieves its intended objectives of accountability, transparency, and the establishment of an accurate personnel database for the Cross River State Public Service.
By Kera Okem
