Ini Billie, Uyo
Akwa Ibom Governor, Mr Udom Emmanuel has unveiled a digitalised operations of the state’s public service.
The digitalisation which consists of the Human Resource Management and Asset Records of the state public service will make the management of over 29,000 workers easy with just a click of buttons on the computer.
Speaking during the unveiling of the digitalised system in Uyo on Tuesday, Emmanuel said the desire to digitalise the civil service was in compliance with the dictates of the 21st century, adding that it would revolutionalise the operations of the civil service and end the duplication of personnel records.
“When I came into office, I had the challenges of workers, and pensioners coming to do verification. I said not in the 21st century can we be going through all these? Seamlessly, there can be a process that from the day you are applying into the civil service, you can just run through until the day you leave this earth, and that is what we just launched today.
“I challenged my people that I would not leave office with what I inherited. The day I leave office, I must hand over to my successor, a fully digitalised civil service, at least starting from the human resource manager which is a major challenge.
“So, with what you are seeing here today, if we are advertising for a vacancy, say in the civil service, once you click and apply, the system would automatically assign you a number, and that number would be like your social security number in other developed nations; that is the number you would use until you are out.
“With that number, you apply, through that number, they would invite you for an interview, through that number you would be employed, you would retain that number. That number would be your file number, that number would be the number that will follow through your promotions, different grades, and different salary steps until you get to where you retire.
“Once you retire, automatically that number would be assigned to your pension account. So, you don’t need to go back into a series of verification exercises again. So seamlessly, that would be well monitored,” he stated.
Speaking on how the digitalised operations work, the Head of Civil Service, Elder Effiong Essien said Governor Emmanuel mandated the task of digitalising the civil service in 2021.
Essien stated that though it was a tedious task, it was achieved, adding that the human resources management system of the operations is a solution for the management of human resources from entry into the service to retirement.
He explained that the operations consist of self-service, human resource data management, performance management and recruitment, noting that it is operational in all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and all employees of the government can log in with their particulars.
“Your Excellency, I feel excited and fulfilled that the Human Resource Management System (HRMS), and the Asset Management System (ARS) which you envisioned and directed for implementation in 2021 is a reality today.
“The configuration of the system and the digitisation of the Human Resource Management and Asset Records of the state government has been completed and the solutions are live.
“It may be of interest to know that having to dig up files and other personnel records that have been dormant in the deep for years, dust, sort, invert, record, index, verify, scan each page; label, merge and upload the data into the system for nearly 29,000 workers were quite time-consuming. We thank God that the effort has yielded the expected result.
“In addition to the digitalisation of the records, hands-on training for state executive members, permanent secretaries, directors, registrars and 243 trainers, that is training the trainees from all the MDAs have also been achieved.
“Today, the system is ready for inauguration and officially go live. The human resources management system is a one-stop solution for the management of human resources from entry into the service to retirement.
“It comprises four main application modules namely: self-service, human resource data management, performance management and recruitment. The solution is deployed in all the MDAs and is open to all the employees of the government to log in with their particulars.
“General employee operations include requests for correction and leave application among others. Records of 24,630 of the main service have been captured and uploaded with allowance for more capturing as data arises.
“The Asset Management System has been deployed to 106 MDAs with a total of 530 authentic and authorized users. The application is open for patronage from all MDAs, though not all employees are authorized to operate it,” he explained.