By LUCY OSUIZIGBO-OKECHUKWU

The Anambra State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (ASPHDA), has apologised to the public over a discriminatory recruitment advert for healthcare workers in the state.

Mrs Chisom Uchem, the Executive Secretary, ASPHDA, said this at a news conference on Thursday in Awka.

Uchem said the advert was misleading and did not reflect the non-discriminatory attribute of the State Government.

The Agency recently published a recruitment advert for health worker which indicated that the job opportunity was for indigenes of the state only.

The advert was for Senior Medical Officers, Nursing Officers, Community Health Officers/Community Health Extension Workers, Junior Community Health Extension Workers, Health Assistants and Health Attendants,

“I apologise to the resident of Anambra and Nigerians for the misleading advert. It was discriminatory and a contradiction of the attributes of Gov. Chukwuma Soludo’s government.

“I want to reiterated that the state government makes merit-based appointments, hence immediate steps have been taken by the agency to rectify the oversight and ensure such errors are not repeated in the future.

“I expressed my commitment to uphold the shared vision of progress and inclusivity of the present administration,” she said.

Also speaking, Dr Afam Obidike, the state’s Commissioner for Health, said that Soludo’s administration was committed to promoting competence, experience and dedication above every other consideration in all recruitment in the state.

Obidike described the present administration as all-inclusive, as a large chunk of appointees and civil servants under the employment of the state government were not indigenes of the state.

He said It was an error that the advert said the job opportunity was only for indigenes of the state.

“The exclusion of non-indigenes goes against the vision, mission and manifesto of the governor who is committed to fostering unity among people in the state.

“The deadline for the job application is no longer Sept. 30 Soludo has extended the job application deadline by one week to allow for more entries.

“Be rest assured that the recruitment exercise will be conducted freely, fairly and transparently as directed by the governor,” he said. (NAN)

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