The Chairman of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Civil Service Commission, Engr. Emeka Ezeh, has said the commission is working towards establishing a permanent Computer-Based Test (CBT) centre to make promotion examinations for civil servants more seamless.
Ezeh spoke on Wednesday while monitoring the ongoing 2025 promotion exercise for about 13,000 workers of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) in Abuja.
According to him, although this year’s exercise has witnessed remarkable improvements, having a dedicated CBT facility would further enhance efficiency.
“I believe that in time to come, when the Commission gets its own facility, the exercise will be much easier and more seamless,” he said.
He disclosed that the promotion exercise, approved by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Barr. Nyesom Wike, would run until July 10.
Ezeh said lessons learnt from previous examinations had helped the commission eliminate the power failures and technical glitches experienced during the maiden CBT promotion exercise.
“There is a remarkable improvement from what happened the first time we started. The Honourable Minister directed that all the issues of glitches and power outages should not happen this time around.
“As you can see, the exercise is going on smoothly because we are not relying on AEDC. We are running on generators, and there has not been any power outage,” he said.
He, however, noted that some candidates still reported for the examination without the required original documents despite repeated reminders.
Also speaking, Commissioner representing the North-East in the FCT Civil Service Commission, Mohamed Mangaji Ibrahim, said the exercise was aimed at clearing outstanding promotion backlogs.
“If you can recall, last year we conducted the 2024 promotion exercise. We are trying to clear the 2024, 2025 and, by the grace of God, the 2026 promotion exercises this year,” he said.
The Acting Director, Centre for Human Resource Development, National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), Dr. Amos Iliya, whose institution is coordinating the examination, said the exercise had progressed smoothly since it commenced.
“We started at 9 a.m. The first batch has finished, and we are now taking the second batch. Everything is going well,” he said.
The Joint Union Action Committee (JUAC) of the FCTA and the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) President , Rifkatu Iortyer represented by Comrade Henry Oshowo, described the first day of the exercise as successful but urged the commission to provide more functional computers and technical support.
“We have observed some malfunctioning and non-functional computers, but generally the exercise has been good. We expect improvements as it progresses,” Oshowo said.
One of the candidates, Mustafa Omar of the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB), commended the organisers, describing the examination as stress-free.
“I came for the promotion examination, and it was quite hassle-free. I did not encounter any technical challenge. It went well,” he said.
