The high level of unemployment in Nigeria came to the fore on Tuesday when over 10000 applicants in Abia state desperately jostled for few vacancies in the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Before 7.am, venue of the exercise, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu Township Stadium, Umuahia had been filled to the brim by the applicants who never wanted to take chances.
Although the interview was orally conducted in most states, the Abia State INEC decided to conduct a written exam.
Addressing newsmen shortly before the commencement of the exercise, Head, Public Affairs, Mr. Edwin Enabor said the commission’s choice of written examination was for convenience as each state was at liberty to adopt a format it considered most suitable.
"It is a herculean task for 10,000 people to be interviewed orally within two days", he said.
INEC wants to recruit more staff to beef up its personnel before the 2011 general elections.
The recruitment, according to the INEC spokesman will cut across administrative, registration, executive cadres, as well as legal officers and data entry operators.
He said all the names of those who applied were listed for the exam except a few who were weeded out for not meeting the basic academic requirements.
Our correspondent who monitored the exercise, reports that it was hitch-free although it did not commence on schedule as it dragged till about 1.pm instead of 7.am originally scheduled.
Some of the applicants were employees in various parastatals particularly school teachers.
Culled from Daily Champions