By CrossRiverWatch admin
At least 150 lawyers have applied for employment into the Cross River State Civil Service as Law Officers in the Ministry of Justice.
This followed the recent approval by the State Governor, Senator Ben Ayade that 30 lawyers be employed as Law Officers to boost the workforce in the State Ministry of Justice.
The list of shortlisted applicants as posted on the notice board of the State Civil Service Commission shows over 150 lawyers applying for the job.
In a bid to limit the number to 30 as approved by the Governor, the Civil Service Commission in the State in conjunction with the State Ministry of Justice, have conducted an aptitude test for the applicants.
The examination held in Calabar yesterday 9th June, 2016 at the Institute of Management, beside General Hospital, Calabar and lasted for exactly 2 hours from 11:30am to 1:30pm.
While addressing the applicants shortly before the examination, the Chairman Cross River Civil Service Commission, Mrs. Rosemary Obanyi, observed that the women population among the applicants outnumbered the men.
She charged the women to perform well in the test so that they can come out to be like her. She further reminded them she was a one time Director of Public Prosecution DPP, in the State Ministry of Justice, Solicitor-General and later a 3 time Attorney-General of the State.
On his part, the Honourable Attorney-General, Mr. Joe Abang said: “The general society holds the negative impression that the Ministry of Justice is a dumping ground for women.
“Women come in here and as soon as they are employed, they get married, apply for maternity leave and go home and sleep, while our cases in court continue to suffer. That’s not what am looking for!
“As I speak to you now, we have over 700 cases in court from the Supreme Court down to the High Courts. I need lawyers who will be following me to court. I need real time litigation lawyers”, the AG stated.
When CrossRiverWatch spoke with some of the applicants shortly after the examination, most of them expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the examination.
One of the applicants who pleaded not to named, stated: “Am very satisfied with the examination. The questions were very professional and practical too. The exams just reminded me of my Law School Bar final exams.
“My only concern now is that merit should be strictly followed. Am worried that merit shouldn’t be sacrificed at the altar of political exigencies and manoeuvring”.