By; PATRICK TITUS, Uyo
The Akwa Ibom State Government has stepped up its efforts to revolutionalise the operations of the civil service and end the duplication of personnel records.
Unveiling the digitized system in Uyo yesterday, the state governor, Mr Udom Emmanuel said 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 button on the computer.
Emmanuel added that the desire to digitize the civil service is 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, 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 full digitized 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, and they would invite you for 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, 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 series of verification exercises again. So seamlessly, that would be well monitored,” he stated.
Speaking on how the digitized operations work, the Head of Civil Service, Elder Effiong Essien said Governor Emmanuel mandated the task of digitizing 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 operation is a solution to the management of the human resources from entry into the service to retirement.
He explained that the operations consists 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 government can login with their particulars.
“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 digitization of the records, hands-on training for state executive members, permanent secretary, directors, registrars and 243 trainers, that is train the trainees from all the MDAs have also been achieved.
“Today, the systems are ready for inauguration and officially go live. The human resources management system is a one stop solution for the management of the 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 government to login with their particulars.
“General employee operations include request for correction, leave application among others. Records of 24,630 of the main service has 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.
