The unrelenting employment fraudsters operating in Asaba, the Delta State capital and its environs, have allegedly ripped-off job seekers a whopping sum of N6 billion.
Reports indicated that over 5,000 job seekers were said to have been defrauded by these fraudsters who operate different cyber cafes in the state capital prompting six out of the number to commit suicide.
LEADERSHIP reliably gathered that those seeking employment have recently raised alarm over the activities of these job racketeers who are dispossessing them of huge sums of money for non-existing jobs.
Expectedly, those behind the employment scam are advertising juicy positions in oil companies and other lucrative sectors as a bait to defraud unsuspecting job seekers.
LEADERSHIP checks revealed that apart from graduates, technicians such as welders and filters are also being offered juicy job openings; especially in oil companies where it is believed such positions attach good salaries.
The fraudsters, unlike what many of the applicants are used to, then go ahead to demand certain fees from the job seekers to process their credentials.
A welder who said he fell victim to one of the syndicates, said he lost N30, 000 in December last year out of ignorance. According to him, he was called by a woman who gave her name as Engineer Stella, with telephone number, 08080705736 and was asked to contact another woman who may have been an accomplice on telephone number, 08133227651.
The documents he was asked to provide included his seaman’s passport, swimming certificate, and a HSC competency test for which he paid N30, 000 into a bank account for processing and possible employment.
Giving the account details, he said Agofure Ufuoma was the account name and that it was a First Bank Account number, 3066003147.
The victim said he never heard from the fraudsters after making the payment. Other job seekers say they have also been defrauded by the same women who appear to be running a job scam syndicate in the city.
LEADERSHIP further checks revealed that some months ago, what turned out to be a dubious advertisement for welders and fitters was circulated to unsuspecting applicants.
One of the victims said that over 50 of them were taken to a workshop in a remote part of Warri, where they were made to pay N10, 000 for the tests with promises of juicy jobs.
But the police spokesman in the state, Mr. Famous Ajeih, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) confirmed that over 30 suspected fraudsters have been arrested in connection with fake advertisement for job seekers and warned members of the public to beware of scammers.
Meanwhile, fresh crisis of confidence and other related acts are currently threatening the relative peace as the Delta state Chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) with party members of Oshimili South Political Youth Forum allegedly accusing the leadership of the party of bribe taking.
But the PDP Publicity Secretary in the state, Chief Delghan Macaulay, dismissed the allegation as untrue and passed a vote of confidence on Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan and the State Chairman of the party, Barrister Peter Nwaoboshi.
Recently, the Local Council, (Oshimili South) was enveloped in protests organized by some youths who were armed with placards with the inscriptions; “Nwaoboshi leave us alone,” Nwaoboshi let peace reign in Oshimili South”. The protesters, LEADERSHIP reliably gathered, also chanted songs; “We shall always fight for our right,” saying that the leadership of the party allegedly hijacked the functions of the local government council since its inception.
Leader of the protesters, Comrade Levy Ogobogi, alleged that Barrister Nwaoboshi had imposed one Okoboshi on the local government chapter of the party, adding that the imposition also brought many unsolved crisis. According to him; “Government as democracy is of the people and by the people. The imposition of Okoboshi was a fraud and an illegality and if not resolved, will tear the party apart.”
Speaking further, Chief Macaulay maintained that the duo (Governor Uduaghan and Barr. Nwaoboshi) were irrevocably committed to peace and security in the state, noting that their resolve to develop the state cannot be over-stressed.
LEADERSHIP checks revealed that there has been a cold war between some local government chapters of the party and its leadership over illegal imposition of members and other related acts, leaving some members planning to dump the party for the opposition.