Nigeria, April 7 -- Candidates who met the advertised requirements for jobs in the Akwa Ibom State Civil Service say they were turned back at the final interview stage for the same qualifications that earned them a place in the process.

At the centre of the dispute are three graduates of Linguistics/Nigerian Languages/Efik/Ibibio and Translation Studies from the University of Uyo: Kate Ekiko, Edifofon Ekong, and Inyang Offiong, who applied for the position of administrative officer II through the state government's ARISE recruitment portal.

Documents from the state recruitment portal, reviewed by PREMIUM TIMES, show that Efik/Ibibio was listed among the eligible qualifications for the role. The candidates said they completed the process...