Nigeria, September 11, 2015, (Blank NEWS Online) – 

Scammers and fraudsters have allegedly beseiged oil wealthy Delta state, fleecing unsuspecting people, especially job seekers off their hard earned monies through undercover agents pretending to act on the behalf of the state ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) of Delta state government.

Several Deltans, including job seekers from neighboring Eastern states have fallen victim of these Job scammers, after paying them huge sum of money ranging from between N500, 000 to One Million naira each to secure employments.

A similar fraud was recorded during the immediate past administration of Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, where hundreds of persons seeking employment were allegedly defrauded by recruitment officers of the Delta state Civil Service Commission (CSC). The Chairman and Members of the CSC Board were also culpable in the gross mismanagement of the recruitment exercise, leading to its suspension till date.

In July, during the Youth Empowerment programme of incumbent Governor Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, some unscrupulous individuals allegedly collected money from applicants for the ongoing youth empowerment scheme with fake promises and assurances of getting them slots in the programme.

Dependable sources and evidences at the disposal of Blank NEWS Online have proved that staff of the state government agencies were privy to the scammers’ activities while some were directly involved.

“It is a known syndicate but the authorities pretend they do not know about it. It is a shame”, a government staff revealed under oath of anonymity.

Only recently, the Delta State Employment and Expenditure for Result (SEEFOR) Project and the State Ministry of Environment cried out scammers have begun to prowl its agencies.

Activities of Job scammers, according to them, include requesting unsuspecting members of the public to pay money into First Bank of Nigeria plc, account number 3029362065 for the purposes of securing employment at the State Employment and Expenditure for Results (SEEFOR) Project.

Most of the fraudsters also act as commission agents for the state government agencies and collect money on behalf of SEEFOR from Job seekers, only to disappear into thin air after defrauding their victims.

Meanwhile, the Delta state government has in a statement made available to Blank NEWS Online on Wednesday, September 09, 2015 issued a stern warning to job seekers to be wary of these scammers who disguise as government agents or staff.

The statement signed by Mr. Paul Osahor, Director of Information reads in part:
“The attention of the Delta State Employment and Expenditure for Result (SEEFOR) Project and the State Ministry of Environment have been drawn to activities of Job scammers in the state, who go about requesting unsuspecting members of the public to pay money into First Bank of Nigeria plc, account number 3029362065 for the purposes of securing employment at the State Employment and Expenditure for Results (SEEFOR) Project.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the SEEFOR project neither collect money from Job seekers nor did it commission agents to collect money on its behalf from Job seekers.

“As an agency of government, the SEEFOR project will always advertise job positions where vacancies exist for the recruitment of qualified personnel for the information of the general public.

“Accordingly, anybody that has fallen victim of these Job scammers is by this announcement advised to report the matter to the Nigerian Police.”

In another development, earlier in July, the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the Delta State Governor, Mr. Charles Aniagwu, insisted that the collection and return of forms for the ongoing empowerment schemes initiated by state government is free and in line with government’s “Prosperity For All” agenda.

Aniagwu’s statement titled “Delta State Empowerment Programme Not For Sale” and made available to Blank NEWS Online on July 22, 2015 reads:

“It has come to the notice of the Delta State Government that some unscrupulous individuals are going about especially on the social media trying to collect money from applicants for the Youth Empowerment programme while giving them fake promises and assurances of getting them slots in the programme. This is not only sad but negates the objectives of the programme.

“The state government want also to reiterate that the programme is free and as such nobody should pay money to anybody for the empowerment programme and any request for money should be duly reported to security agencies for necessary action.

“We are working in concert with security agencies to nib in the bud this fraudulent attempt to rip innocent and vulnerable deltans and deny them of the benefits of the government empowerment programme. Be rest assured anyone caught in this fraudulent acts will be made to face the full wrath of the law no matter his or her position”.

It could also be recalled that erstwhile Delta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan suspended the Chairman and Members of the Civil Service Commission [CSC] over gross mismanagement of the recruitment exercise in to the state Civil Service and eventually set up an Administrative Panel of Inquiry to review the exercise.

The then Secretary to the State Government, Comrade Ovuozorie Macaulay in a statement issued on Thursday, May 21, 2015 said that the suspension became necessary as “the recruitment exercise which was to address some vacancies in the Service and respond to the employment needs of the state has however been abused and ridiculously mismanaged by the Civil Service Commission.”

“More embarrassing is the allegation of gross misconduct, abuse of office and fraud involving the sale of employment on account of which some members of the commission are presently undergoing interrogation by the security agencies”, Comrade Maucaulay stated.

Last Word:
If the current trend of abuse of office by employees in the state government ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) remain unchecked and possible loopholes unblocked, unemployment rate in the state will remain on the high and growth of successive governments may be hindered while their policies remain unpopular.

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