The federal government, on Wednesday, conducted the second phase of computer-based Confirmatory Promotional Examination (COMPRO II) for junior cadre officers in public service across the nation.

The examination conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), had a total of 9, 618 candidates from paramilitary and junior officers from the core ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs), who participated in the exams nationwide.

Speaking after touring Abuja centres, Marcus Ogunbiyi, permanent secretary, career management office, office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HOCSF), commended JAMB management for proper conduct of the exams.

“As you can see, the exam has been well organised and this is the first time we are holding a CBT for junior COMPRO candidates. Last year was for the senior cadre officers and I commend the level of their comportment.

“The way they have handled the system for now is encouraging and I believe by the time we come back next year for the same exercise, things will be better,” he said.

Mr Ogunbiyi, however, identified some areas of lapses to include accreditation of officers which he said would be addressed before the next conduct of such exercise.

He said that the reason behind the initiative by the federal government was part of its vision to reform the public service by going digital and to improve civil servants in the course of their work.

“In the first instance, the COMPRO is to test the ability and how well the public officers know the public service and to test the level of their potential to handle the assignments given to them as public servants.

“What we are doing now by going digital is part of reforms of the nation’s public service,” he said.

He said over the years, the service had been handling bulk question papers and a lot of human interface in assessing officers.

“But going digital, we are now reducing the human contacts, it is done seamlessly. So it is what you put there, that is what you get back,” he explained.

Also, Ateboh Ademu, director, learning and development, office of the HOCSF, said head of service office was satisfied with the level of performance of the exercise.

“As the Director of learning and development, the assessment so far as we have witnessed by all indications is excellent, is even beyond expectations, the attitude.

“The conduct of candidates and handling of the whole exercise have been done excellently,” he said.

Mr Ademu gave assurance of non-compromise of the system to sustain the needed standards.

According to him, having examined some of the problems encountered during the first conduct of the exam, the office of the HOCSF in collaboration with JAMB has put some measures on ground to address all observable challenges.

In the same vein, Blessing Garuba, one of the candidates from Nigeria Immigration Service, commended the innovation of computer-based examination for public servants in Nigeria.

Mrs Garuba added that it had improved her horizons as she could confidently operate computer on her own.

“When I heard about the exam I was panicking but going into the exam hall, I found out that it is all what I know. Besides, I have learnt a lot resulting from using computer, ” she said.

The federal government had in 2022, introduced the computer-based examination for the senior cadre officers across all MDAs to fulfil its agenda of improving public service to global standards.

(NAN)