Worried by the increasing number of people who have fallen victim to the activities of fraudsters defrauding unemployed youths, the Akwa Ibom State government has put members of the public on notice, warning them to be wary of those promising people employment into the state civil service.
The level of unemployment in Akwa Ibom State is believed to be the highest in the Niger Delta though the state government says this is often exaggerated.
According to Effiong Essien, head of civil service in the state, the fraudsters also promise training programmes, adding that they have adopted various methods of operations which he said include posting of job vacancies via WhatsApp, text messages, messages on fictitious Akwa Ibom State Websites and other social media platforms, demanding online payment or cash payment into their accounts for such non-existing employment.
“Government hereby informs the teeming job-seekers and the general public that employment into the Akwa Ibom State Civil Service is free of any charge and always duly publicised through advertorials in the print and electronic media in addition to placement on a dedicated website and call circulars to Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), after which names are shortlisted and interviews conducted before appointment.
In a statement in Uyo, the state capital, Essien urged the public “to always cross-check advertised employment opportunities at the relevant government offices and give details of such impersonators and fraudsters to the security agencies for necessary action.”
In an earlier interview with BusinessDay, the head of civil service had denied that there was a secret ongoing employment into the state civil service, saying instead that those employments were selected from the data base of the state government from those who had earlier responded to advertised positions mainly in critical areas of medicine and related field.”
ANIEFIOK UDONQUAK, Uyo
