Akwa Ibom State Governor, Mr Udom Emmanuel, has given an executive order mandating the state civil service to deploy all civil servants with requisite qualification in education to schools.

The Governor directed that the affected staff serving in ministries, departments and agencies with requisite teaching qualifications should be redeployed to fill existing vacancies in the state educational institutions.

This was part of resolutions at the State Executive Council meeting on Wednesday, presided over by the governor.

Commissioner of Information Mr Charles Udoh, who announced the decision explained that the directive takes into consideration the additional incentives that would be provided to the affected workers.

“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 the government is aware that they have to be encouraged with incentives and government has lined up packages for the workers that would be deployed.”

Udoh encouraged staff that will be affected by the order not to see it as punitive, saying that the government is seeking to plough their expertise to where it would be beneficial to the state and the government’s free and qualitative education policy.

The Information Commissioner said the government has granted a waiver to workers who embarked on further studies without approval provided such studies were in the education discipline.

By the order, the state government has placed an embargo on transfer of service by teachers from the classroom to the mainstream civil service.

The State Executive Council approved the establishment of a health insurance scheme to address the health needs of the people.

Commissioner for Health, Dr Dominic Ukpong, who disclosed this said the implementation of the scheme would commence as soon as the Bill is passed by the state House of Assembly.

Ukpong said with the scheme, indigenes of the state will receive quality healthcare services at a minimal cost.

“People would pay as small as N1000 a year and get treatment worth millions of Naira”.

The Health Commissioner spoke about the state’s preparedness against the Covid -19, urged people in the state to observe personal hygiene such as regular washing of hands.

Ukpong said health officials are positioned at strategic entry points, with health facilities put in place to quarantine a suspected case.