Imo state job center & N18.4M Scandal

The Imo state Job Centre headed by Professor Obioma Iheduru may have landed itself in a job scandal that could irreparably damage its credibility.When in September, 2009, the centre announced to unsuspecting indigenes yearning to secure jobs that it has placements for unemployed youths of the state in Dubai , United Arab Emirate and encouraged interested applicants to come forward for registration at the job centre, little was known about the row in the waiting.

Regrettably though, but expectedly, the teeming army of unemployed youths in the state jumped at the offer and with a fee pegged at N250,000, covering the job itself, resident permit, work permit, visa accommodation and feeding.

It is however reveal that the initiator of the programme, Pastor John Maduike, an international recruitment consultant was in for a charade which eventually was claimed to have run into momentary hitches after payments were made to the Imo Job Centre by applicants as the process of securing resident permit before the applicants are allowed to travel took longer time than expected and caused apprehension to the applicants.

The consultant, a clergy man, apparently worried over the doubt and impending scandal suggested that the applicants be refunded their money but Maduike had made his exit against the will of the leadership of the job centre and refunds were not made; instead the Imo Job Centre contracted a new consultant, Mr. Joseph of Hats Aviation Limited who shot up the fee for the trip to N460, 000 per applicant leading to more agitation from the applicants over postponements of their departure date.

Departure to Dubai, earlier scheduled for 30th April, 2010 was shifted to 7th of May 2010 and laden in deceit as the applicants were notified through text messages to assemble at Excellent Hotel, Ogba, Ikeja, Lagos for departure to Dubai even as the said date for the trip was called off and again shifted from 14th May to 21st May. Only two applicants eventually made the trip to Dubai .

An applicant and victim of the rip-off complained that, “we called them up when we learnt they had traveled, they told us that there was no job waiting for them in Dubai ; no feeding; no accommodation. They said that if there was any arrangement at all, it was not yet concluded.”

Meanwhile, Director of the Imo Job Centre, Prof. Obioma Iheduru has been arrested and quizzed by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) over the scam.

The new consultant, Mr. Joseph has however claimed that while the project lasted, he was not put in the proper scheme of things by the centre.

His words: “The problem here is that I was not put in the right picture of things. As for the applicants, the two that traveled deceived my people by telling them they had enough pocket money while they had only $50 which is about N7, 500 only. On getting to Dubai , they started calling everybody. My workers have actually been directed to give them additional $200 each.”

In defiance to his criminality, Mr. Joseph said that: “You must know that I dealt with the Imo state government and not with any individual. I collected money from nobody, so you must be careful what you write because my company is ready to sue”, adding that “I received a letter from the Imo state government putting the trip on hold until government verifies the exercise”.

In a petition signed by 12 of the affected applicants and copied to the Imo State House of Assembly, the EFCC, ICPC and other relevant agencies, they narrated that by the 30th of May, 2010, only two applicants, one Mr. Uchenna Onwukwe and Mr. Ugwunna Nwachukwu were “successfully dumped in Dubai with fake visas, no job, no accommodation and in a state of total hopelessness.”

“Some of us auctioned our properties, gave out our belongings, resigned our jobs, folded our businesses and even borrowed money at exorbitant rates to be part of the supposed job trip to Dubai, which the Imo Job Centre promised would pay a salary of $1500 monthly”, they lamented.

The aggrieved applicants who gave the Dubai phone numbers of the two stranded applicants: Uchenna - +971558682913, Ugwunna - +971558682915 further revealed that the deal was struck via a Diamond Bank with account number 0172130000801 and belonging to the Job Centre.

Speaking from Dubai , Uchenna Onwukwe and Ugwunna Nwachukwu confirmed the story but denied receiving any extra $200 for their upkeep in Dubai . “This is our second week here (13th day to be precise) and against our expectations, we met no job, no accommodation. Our situation, to say the least is hopeless. We ate only once daily because we are out of fund. The little we have left is dedicated to searching for work. Any work at all.”

The Imo state government has denied its link to the scam as a source said they were not privy to the details of the job trip to Dubai .