A Chief Executive Officer in the Human Resource Management Department of the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture, Mr. Udoh Aniefiok has commended the Management of the National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO) for the proper conduct of the 2021 promotion examination exercise.

Aniefiok who was representing the supervising Ministry, gave this commendation while giving an opening remark before the commencement of the exercise on Wednesday, May 26, 2021 at the Education Resource Centre, venue of the exercise for staff at the Institute’s headquarters.

According to him, the role of the Ministry is to observe the conduct of the examination exercise to ensure compliance to extant rules and procedures for promotion examinations in the Civil Service.

In his words “Our role is to serve as observers. It is not only here in NICO that the Ministry plays such role but in all parastatals under the ministry. As you know, this is examination and for those of you who are still in school, you know the rule that examinations have. The rule is that there should be no room for cheating and malpractice and we are here to ensure that. Also, you are not expected to speak, except your biro”.

While stressing that promotion in the civil service is the right of officers but subject to availability of vacancies, Mr. Aniefiok wished all officers partaking in the exercise success.

Also speaking, the representative of the external examiner and consultant to NICO, Mr. Uzoma Onyegbadue implored officers to desist from any form of distraction that would lead to examination malpractice, saying he has the mandate to enforce zero tolerance.

The NICO 2021 promotion exercise at the Abuja centre had 43 staff on Conraiss 6-9 and 31 staff on Conraiss 10-12 who participated.

Some staff of the Human Resource Management Department at the Institute’s headquarters who invigilated the exercise to ensure peaceful conduct were Assistant Director, Human Resource Department, Mrs. Chinasa Eze; Chief: Admin. Officer, Mr. Mabs Umunna; and Chief Admin. Officer, Miss Fatima Jafaru among others.

It could be recalled that the 2021 promotion exercise which held simultaneously in all the NICO Zonal and State offices across the country is the second under the watch of the Executive Secretary NICO, Mallam Ado Yahuza since assumption of office in September, 2020 further stresses his commitment to staff welfare.

Njideka Dimgba
E.S Office, Abuja.