The Nation Newspaper

Tag: recruitment

  • FIRS arrests nine for fraudulent recruitment

    FIRS arrests nine for fraudulent recruitment

    The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has arrested nine persons for fraudulent recruitment. They will be arraigned soon, it was learnt.

    The agency alleged that the suspects used a vast network of websites, e-mail addresses, computers, telephone lines and bank accounts in parts of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to demand and receive money from unsuspecting persons for non-existent jobs.

    Those questioned are Alex Oki, David Kachia, Yakubu Tanko, Mohammed Shuaibu, Kehinde Jamah, Ogbonna Agwu, Aminu Ibrahim, Pascal Ajah and Chris Onyekachi.

    According to the agency, some of the suspects promised to facilitate the promotion of  FIRS officials and sent text messages to spouses, relatives and persons related to FIRS workers.

    They were accused of forging documents, impersonating FIRS officials and those of other ministries, agencies and banks, and soliciting money for the promotion of FIRS workers.

    One of the suspects was said to have sent a text message soliciting payments from senior FIRS workers to facilitate their promotion.

    Items reportedly recovered  were a Toyota Carina II saloon car, complimentary cards, bank deposit slips, among others.

    FIRS, which recently conducted an online promotion examination, which ran simultaneously in locations, said it is not recruiting for now.

    It said: “This is to inform the public that FIRS is neither recruiting nor replacing unfilled positions within its workforce. Anybody submitting his/her CV or applying through any website, responding to SMS on any online medium, social media platforms or in whatever form, for employment with FIRS, is doing so at his or her own risk.

    “Please note that employment into the FIRS will be advertised in national newspapers as well as on the FIRS website www.firs.gov.ng. The public are advised to avoid being deceived or defrauded by unscrupulous and dubious characters.”

  • Army begins recruitment

    Nigerian Army will today commence on line registration for the 71st Regular Recruit Intake for both Trade/Non-Tradesmen and Women.

    A statement by the Army Public Relations Officer Captain Ojo Adenegan, said the applicants for non tradesmen/women must possess WASC/NECO/GCE/SSCE/NABTEB with at least four credits including English Language, in not more than two sittings.

    The statement further said applicant must be between the ages of 18 and 22 Years by July, and must not be less than 1.65 (male) and 1.56 (female) meters height respectively.

    It would be recalled that Nigerians have lamented the inability of the military and other security agencies to foil attacks or nab perpetrators criminal acts due to inadequate man power.

    An aide to President Goodluck Jonathan, Dr Doyin Okupe re-echoed it during an interview with the Cable News Network (CNN), while given the reason Boko Haram insurgents operated freely in states under emergency.

    Okupe said the number of military personnel is not enough to secure all the nooks and crannies of the country.

    According to Captain Adenegan, “Applicants for tradesmen/women must possess the following educational and professional requirements; WASC/SSCE/NECO/GCE/NABTEB with at least 4 credits, including English Language and OND, NCE , Trade Test/City and Guild Certificate.  Tradesmen and women must be between the ages of 18 and 26 Years by July 31, and must not less than 1.65 (male) and 1.56 (female) meters height respectively.

    “Applicants are to obtain their e-vouchers online directly through the Army e-recruitment Portal www.narecruitment.org with master card, visa and verse cards or paper vouchers from all branches of Union and Unity Bank Nationwide at the cost of N 1000.00,” the statement said.

    The registration exercise will end on June 21, while pre-screening examination will hold on July 5, 2014 at the centre of the applicant’s choice nationwide.  Candidates are expected to check the website on July 16 for the list of shortlisted candidates to attend Zonal screening exercise.

  • That bloody recruitment

    That bloody recruitment

    John Fitzgerald Kennedy, in his famous speech in Dublin Castle, Republic of Ireland, defined democracy as a difficult kind of government that requires the highest qualities of self-discipline, restrained and knowledgeable leaders, willing to make commitments, sacrifices for the general interest.

    Since independence, Nigeria has experienced so much trauma that has shaken the foundation on which it stands; but we are blessed with deft leaders, who drive the country to the edge of precipice, only to draw it back again for another round of dangerous play. But we are yet to be blessed with such leaders that Kennedy was referring to since democracy returned to the nation.

    Nigeria is a country where nothing works in conformance to due process. It is a country which has found it impossible to guarantee even 12 hours electricity supply for its citizens; a nation where poverty thrives, despite being blessed with natural wealth. We are indeed plagued with bad leaders and ignorant followers. The country is like a canoe in turbulence and everybody is looking for a way out.

    Just recently, thousands of jobless graduates, who ostensibly wanted to escape from the poverty trap, took part in the Nigeria Immigration Service recruitment, which ended as a morbid exercise. The applicants were desperate. They besieged venues in their large numbers. The stadia were filled to capacity with able men and women looking for Federal Government’s job.

    They paid N1,000 as application fee but there was no refreshment for them. The graduates were asked to stay in the scorching sun for several hours to write the dubious test. In no time, there was a stampede and some of them were crushed. Many left with physical and psychological trauma.

    After the tragedy, the organisers blamed the dead applicants for their fate. What did our president do? Perhaps it was meant to be some publicity stunt for him, but when tragedy befell the exercise, the president rejected the scheme and condemned the death of applicants.

    To further pee on the graves of the dead, the president offered immediate jobs to the families of the victims. If it is not an afterthought, how else could one explain the president’s largesse? What of those who lived to tell the story? Should they blame themselves for not dying at the test venues? What about applicants who were injured psychologically? Should they go and die at home?

    Is this how the Federal Government wants to solve the unemployment riddle ravaging the nation? Our schools churn out thousands of graduates every year but there are no plans in place to absorb them. If a fraction of the NIS job applicants could be employed to pacify the upset public, what should be the fate of the rest of the applicants, who did not get hurt during the exercise?

    This is why I saw the job offer to the victims’ families as insulting and inappropriate.

  • Akwa begin recruitment

    Charles Bassey has revealed that Akwa United have stepped up preparation for the upcoming season.

    The Akwa United technical director disclosed that the club have commenced recruitment for the new season, as they aim to be the team to beat.

    “We are preparing Akwa United for the new season as a team to beat,” he said.

    “A lot of fantastic players have been storming our screening ground and we will get the very best that will help elevate the club to an envious position that everyone will be proud of.”

    Bassey also disclosed that the club will announce the appointment of a new coach this week, as the management has pencilled down some notable tacticians.

  • Fake recruitment forms on sale

    The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Alhaji Bukar Goni Aji, has denied setting up any task force for the recruitment of officers into the federal civil service.

    In a statement by the Director of Communication, Tope Ajakaiye, the Head of Service said his attention has been drawn to the activities of a group of people operating illegally as a Federal Civil Service Recruitment Task Force, claimed to have been set up by his office, and selling fake recruitment forms to applicants.

    “Alhaji Aji wants the public to be aware that the responsibility for the recruitment of officers into the Federal Civil Service is that of the Federal Civil Service Commission and that the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation plays no role in the process.

    “I would like the public to know that the government has been advertising vacant positions and the application process in Nigerian newspapers.”

    He advised applicants to always get appropriate information on recruitment from the commission’s office in Abuja or through its website and avoid dealing with fraudsters when seeking employment into the federal civil service.

     

  • Ekiti begins recruitment to fill vacancies in civil service

    Ekiti State Government has begun recruitment to fill vacancies in the civil service.

    The exercise, which started on Tuesday, has attracted thousands of applicants from the 16 local governments, who have besieged the Civil Service Commission (CSC) headquarters on the premises of the Old Governor’s Office in Ado-Ekiti.

    According to findings, people submitted applications in response to an earlier announcement on the electronic media in the state.

    The Chairman of CSC, Alhaji Sulaiman Afolabi Ogunlayi, said the aim of the government was to “create a level playing field for candidates, who desire to secure employment in the civil service.

    Ogunlayi said the move to fill the “consequential vacancies in the civil service” was to maintain a manageable level of professionals and workers in the employ of the state.

    Allaying fears of partiality, the CSC chairman said applicants would write a test to determine their suitability.

    He urged candidates to sit for the test, which would be organised at centres across the state.

    Said he: “The aim is to employ more hands to fill consequential vacancies across the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs). Those employed in the old Ondo State in the 70s are retiring and they would have to be replaced.

    “It is, however, not going to be a one-off thing, as vacancies would often be filled from the pool of successful candidates whose list would have been compiled from this ongoing exercise.

    “The current exercise covers all cadres, including medical doctors, lawyers, architects, accountants, higher executive officers and clerical officers, who are being classed into two, namely junior and senior cadres.”

    Candidates yesterday lamented what they described as “shoddy and improper treatment arising from needlessly long queues, which led to sharp practices by smart candidates.”

    Some of them, who spoke with The Nation, said the process could be less troubling “if it had been made non-physical.”

    Shade, one of the applicants, said she came from Ikere-Ekiti and had not processed her application.

    Said she: “If the Internet has been used and candidates are made to process applications online, this problem would not have occurred. All I can see is improper planning.

    “You may not believe it, but there are cheats here. Some would come and would want to have their way. This has created problems.”

    Another candidate said: “I’m from Igbara-Odo-Ekiti. I want to obtain employment form. The situation I am witnessing is abnormal to put it mildly. Government is trying, but I think it can be made better.

    It should have been done online. Three applicants collapsed during recruitment at the teaching service commission. This should serve as a lesson.

    Another applicant said: “Can you imagine I’ve been here since 6am? The stress is too much.”

    Admitting the problems, the CSC chairman said there was no cause for alarm as the exercise would last one week.

    He said: “The recruitment has just started. We will attend to everybody before its expiration.”

  • SURE-P ends recruitment of 3,000 school leavers in Anambra

    The Subsidy Re-Investment Programme (SURE-P) has concluded the recruitment of three thousand school leavers in Anambra State, saying it was devoid of any political partisanship.

    FormerAnambra State House of Assembly Speaker, Anayo Nebe, and chairman, SURE-P community service, women and youths employment, said the programme was on ground in Anambra State. He noted that the documentation process was still ongoing.

    Nebe said the exercise in Anambra had been a huge success.

    According to him, “At the moment, the recruits have not commenced work, which is why people do not feel the impact of the scheme. But in a matter of days, when the documentation process comes to an end, the impact will be very glaring

    “The participants are being selected from different parts of the state. It is non-partisan, as nobody was selected on the basis of political party, religion or other primordial sentiment. For the first phase, each local government area has four communities.

    “By this, we will ensure there is spread. We want every local government area to have a feel of the scheme. It is a continuous exercise, some may be involved in road maintenance, others may be sent to other areas, as choice of projects differs from community to community.

    “I want to state clearly that this is one of the best programmes of the President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration.

    The government has earlier shown in so many ways that it is one with a human face, a government that is not elitist, a government that bothers about the welfare of the youth and women, “ Nebe said.

  • Still on the immigration recruitment exercise

    Still on the immigration recruitment exercise

    SIR: The recent report of the spat between the Minister of the Interior and the Comptroller-General of Immigration Service as carried by some dailies including The Nation of Friday, December 28, 2012 over an alleged surreptitious recruitment exercise is symptomatic of the general malaise and decadence in both the Ministry and Immigration Service.

    The Comptroller of Immigration Service (CGIS) had refuted the allegation that she was recruiting officers and men into the Service without following the due process. According to her,the Minister couldn’t have stopped an exercise that was yet to begin. In other words, there was no recruitment going on in the first place. The Minister was lying! Her defense was all sophistry for all I care. Those who know and are close to the workings of the Service know better.

    In August,2011, according to an Abuja based local newspaper The Road, Thursday August 18, 2011, similar recruitment exercise was carried out clandestinely by the same CGIS where it was alleged that out of the 2700 vacancies available for that year, 1000 slots went to the Presidency while copious allocations went to the Interior Ministry, the politicians, the Board of the Service, CGIS cronies and top functionaries of the service etc. Up till now nobody has refuted the allegation.

    Apart from this, recruitments have continued to be made into the service through the process tagged ‘replacement’. Nobody knows those who are being replaced in the first instance. But it would appear that you must know somebody ‘who is somebody ‘ before you could be recruited or pay your way through as alleged. And to imagine that the majority of officers at the service headquarters don’t know about this much less those at the state commands. These have been going on for the past two years.

    Whether you are talking about promotion, transfer or appointment, it’s now a matter of ‘cash and carry’. The recent promotion released in the last quarter of last year nearly tore the service asunder. It was a parody of injustice whereby subordinates and juniors were promoted far and above their more qualified seniors. The dissatisfaction therefrom is already causing ripples in the service.

    The CGIS is therefore not speaking the truth. It was alleged that the recruitment exercise had been designated to hold in a primary school somewhere in Asokoro before the minister wielded the big stick. Even if the CGIS succeeds in deceiving some people, she should understand that she couldn’t deceive those who actually bought their ways through and those who came on the back of godfathers and godmothers.

    I think what may have triggered the recent altercations between the minister and the CGIS was that the latter probably outfoxed the former hence the hammer. Absolutely,both the ministry and the service are culpable.

     

    • Ogidi Martin,

    Asokoro, Abuja.

  • Rivers Assembly halts teachers’ recruitment

    THE Rivers State House of Assembly (RSHA) yesterday suspended the recruitment of teachers.

    The second round of the recruitment test was meant to begin this week.

    The lawmakers said they took the decision because the Universal Basic Education and the Senior Secondary Schools’ boards were not involved in the recruitment.

    Mr. Ibiso Nwuche (Ahoada East Constituency 11) raised the motion, which was co-sponsored by members of the Committee on Education, who said the Ministry of Education did not follow due process.

    Speaker Otelemaba Dan-Amachree ordered the Commissioner for Education Dame Alice Lawrence-Nemi and her team to appear before the House on Wednesday by 10am.

    Dame Lawrence-Nemi could not be reached for comments, but ministry staff said the commissioner was committed to improving the sector.

    A worker said the ministry has effectively curbed exam malpractices.

    The worker said: “People are complaining because the commissioner is strict. She has not given them chance to manipulate the process and recruit their friends. She always insists on merit.

    “Due to the effective management style of the commissioner, the state has won the best price in education by the Universal Basic Education Commission and many other laurels.”

     

  • Tiv allege ‘lopsidedness’ in military, paramilitary recruitment

    A group, the Tiv Federation Quota (TFQ), has urged President Goodluck Jonathan to address the “lopsidedness” in the recruitment of Tiv into military and paramilitary outfits.

    The group alleged that there has been a systemic agenda to root out Tiv race out of the military and paramilitary and replace them with another ethic group within Benue state.

    Addressing reporters yesterday in Makurdi, the state capital, leaders of the group, Chief Joe Har, Kelvin Acka and Chris Agabi condemned the non-recruitment and employment of Tiv sons and daughters into federal agencies such as the Army, Navy, police and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

    “Apart from recruitment into the military and paramilitary outfits, the Tiv ethnic group, which is the fourth largest in the country, has been sidelined in the recruitments by the police, the Navy, the Army and the NSCDC. Where they are recruited all, the number falls short of their population put together,” Har said.

    The Tiv leader gave a statistics of this year’s recruitment.

    He noted that in the recruitment into the Army, eight Tiv made it as against Idoma 40; in the police, only 10 Tiv made it as against 49 Idoma.

    The worst imbalance in the recruitment, according to Har, is into the NSCDC.

    He said 83 Idoma came tops as against Tiv’s seven; in the Navy, seven Tiv and Idoma 79 were reportedly recruited.

    Har explained that in Benue State, the Tiv are in the majority with two senatorial zones and 14 local government areas; the Idoma has a senatorial zone with seven local government areas.

    The Tiv leader noted that this is why in some Tiv-speaking local government areas, the names of other ethnic groups appear on the recruitment list.

    He urged the Federal Character Commission (FCC) to investigate the non-recruitment of Tiv into federal agencies.