It was a beautiful Monday morning, characterized by the usual heavy traffic which has now become a trade-mark of the Federal Capital Territory on weekdays. So much hustling and bustling, cars blaring their horns and commercial bus drivers working their way through the traffic and the traffic warders doing their best to keep the traffic under control.
The mood in the city was high as you can see most of the inhabitants wishing the weekend had lasted a day or two more. Some occupants of vehicles sat in their air-conditioned cars and you can see resignation on their faces, most of them wishing there was a way to by-pass the traffic.
Emeka, who was relatively new to the FCT boarded a commercial bus from Mararaba. He can’t stop wondering why the government has failed to find a permanent solution to the heavy traffic. A graduate of Urban and regional planning from a renowned Federal University in the country, he told himself continually that he had the solution to the heavy gridlock of traffic inherent not only in the FCT, but other commercial cities in the country as well. After the fruitless search for job, Emeka relocated to the FCT on the advice of his older brother with the hope that he will secure a job sooner or later.
He is yet to secure a job after 2 months of relocating to the city. After several attempts of dropping his CV’s in some ministries and private companies, he was yet to be called upon for an aptitude test let alone an interview, and he was becoming increasingly frustrated. Most of his plans were on hold and the continuous promises from his influential relatives to help him get a job no longer made a difference. He was jarred out of his deep thoughts when the bus conductor told him they had gotten to their last bus-stop in Wuse. With no destination in mind, he alighted from the bus. He had barely taken a few steps when he ran into a notice by a recruitment agency calling for applications from suitably qualified candidates to fill some vacant positions in some reputable companies in the FCT.
He was so excited when he discovered he had the qualification that was required to fill one of the vacant positions. He took down the contact number on the notice and sent a text message of his qualification and the position that he desired as instructed by the recruitment agency. With so much enthusiasm, he made his way back home and he couldn’t help smiling at how mother luck had favored him.
Sooner had he gotten home when a text message entered his phone inviting him for an aptitude test in three days time. He was asked to come with his writing materials, photocopies of his credentials and two hundred naira. He got to the venue properly dressed and met other prospective job seekers, he had read through the pages of his G-Mat and he was mentally and emotionally ready to tackle whatever questions may come his way.
His credentials, and passport photograph and the sum of 200 naira was collected along with that of others, the question and answer booklet was given to everyone present who had registered their names and he answered them to the best of his ability. He was completely oblivious of the mushroom environment in which the tests were written.
Four days later, Emeka got a text message notifying him of his success at the just concluded aptitude test and he was therefore asked to come to the office of the recruitment agency the following day with the sum of 2,500 for his guarantors form and an EDF form. Quickly, he showed the text message to his older brother who was excited at the news, partly because the stress of carrying the burden of Emeka would lessen. Before leaving for work the following day, Emeka’s older brother gave him the sum of 3,000 naira which included the stipulated fees and his transport fare to and fro.
Smartly dressed, Emeka made his way to the agency, he met a young man who brought out his file, collected the sum of two thousand, five hundred naira from him, issued a receipt and gave him some forms to fill. Three months after he was trained by the recruitment agency, he was yet to resume. In fact, he was yet to get his appointment letter despite his repeated visit and phone calls to the recruitment agency. It finally dawned on him that he had been scammed.
On one of the visits to the head office of the recruitment agency, he saw a lot of young, desperate graduates who had fallen prey and those who were falling prey to these organized scammers, just then, a lot of things started to make sense to him for the first time. Why will he be asked to pay the sum of 200 naira before writing an aptitude test? Why will he be shortlisted for an interview just by sending a text message to a phone number on a poster pasted on a wall? Why will he be asked to pay the sum of 2,500 naira before a guarantor and EDF form will be given to him? Why will he be asked to come for an oral interview without knowing the name of his prospective employer? Why will the name of the recruitment agency who claims to have a mission and vision to provide jobs for the teeming unemployed youths in the country not be on the internet? His questions were endless.
So many desperate and unemployed youths have fallen victim to these dubious recruitment agencies who continue to capitalize on the desperation of the number of unemployed youths in the country to perpetrate their scam.
Ayodele Olatunbosun James, and Nneka Ugochukwu (Not real names), both graduates of two renowned Federal Universities in the country also came into the FCT in pursuit of the proverbial Golden Fleece. They recounted their experience at the hands of these scammers. They came across the vacancy notice, and sent text messages. They were called up for aptitude tests and interview after paying the stipulated fees of two hundred naira and two thousand, five hundred naira respectively, that was five months ago, even after their “amazing” success and training, there were yet to get their appointment letters or resume their positions at the “Reputable Construction Company”.
Abdullahi Mustapha was quite lucky. When he received the text message of how he excelled at the aptitude test and how he will have to come with the sum of Two Thousand, Five Hundred Naira to collect his guarantor and EDF form. His attempt to borrow money from his friend, Audu proved abortive. Audu told him he doesn’t have any money to borrow him until the end of the month as he has not been paid at his place of work. Abdullahi therefore pleaded with the recruitment agency and even promised to pay the stipulated fees after he must have collected his first salary, but all pleas fell on deaf ears. His attempt at even signing an agreement with them failed as he was matched out of the office,
Secondary school leavers are also not left out by these scammers as categories of jobs which fit into their profile are also provided. They are exploited in their desperate need to make a source of living and to further their academic pursuits.
It is therefore essential that this menace be quickly addressed by the relevant authorities to stop the exploitation of desperate and jobless Nigerian youths by these fraudulent recruitment agencies. It is also important that job seekers be really careful in their attempt to make a descent source of living.
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