It is indeed a huge surprise that not
many commentators are alarmed by the on-going exploitation of hapless,
jobless Nigerians by various government agencies in the name of
recruitment – most notably and presently, the Nigeria Immigration
Service and the Nigeria Air Force. For those who are not in the know, I
would offer a little enlightenment. Two weeks ago, the Nigeria
Immigration Service invited suitably qualified Nigerians to send in
applications for a number of vacancies advertised by the service. I
would not bore you with the specifics of their offerings in three
categories with requirements ranging from SSCE certificates to
university degrees or its equivalent but I would keep the issue straight
on the subject of this essay – the exploitation of Nigerians by
government agencies. Weeks earlier, the Nigeria Air Force has placed her
own adverts inviting young Nigerians to apply to become
tradesmen/women. I am sure majority are already familiar with the yearly
recruitment by the Nigerian Army. That one happened earlier in the year
but much like these two on offer this season; applicants were asked to
pay “recruitment fees.”
For immigration, the recruitment fee is a
thousand naira across the three categories while the Nigeria Air Force
requires her would-be applicants to have a richer purse as they would
have to fork out two thousand five hundred naira to be eligible for
consideration in the recruitment exercise. The Nigeria Army collects a
thousand naira from each of her applicants.
What is wrong with collecting a token
from applicants who are not complaining? Many are wont to ask this
question over and over again. I know there are many Nigerians who would
happily pay a million naira to get into any of these agencies. I also
know there are youths who would even prefer a higher charge as that
would make it difficult for majority to apply and hence increase their
chances of being considered. To these people, whatever I am going to say
here would certainly make no sense. They would plainly dismiss me and
advise that I get a job. I have no apologies to offer them. In the first
place, I do not write to please them and hence I am under no obligation
to write what they would “like.”
Now from information made available by
relevant government agencies and from personal observations, millions of
eligible Nigerian youths are under-employed or completely unemployed.
Some of these agencies put Nigeria unemployment figures at over 30
million (educated and uneducated). If we assume for modesty sake that
the figure is exaggerated and settle for a reduced figure of say 20
million, it follows that the guys handling the recruitment for these
agencies are looking at “a 20 million-man market.” Let us again assume
that out of this figure, only 10 million persons eventually apply for
these openings because the rest are without access to the internet or
lack money or the minimal education that internet access asks of her
users, you will still have a very, very huge market.
It is possible to dismiss the
unemployment figures above as inaccurate or concocted but what is not in
doubt is that today in Nigeria, unemployment is a present and worsening
crises. It would be a huge miracle if there is any Nigerian who does
not have at least one friend, relative, dependent, associate, child or
parent who is unemployed. The undeniable fact is that millions and
millions of Nigerians are without meaningful dignifying jobs. If you
need evidence of this everyday ticking bomb which unemployment has
become in Nigeria, get into the street, get into the markets, go to
prayer houses, watch the lips of the thousands you see in churches and
crusades. Eavesdrop into peoples’ phone calls and hear their complaints.
The young energetic men and women who run after vehicles along the
highways do not engage in that risky venture because they want to beat
the Jamaicans in Olympics 100 meters race. They do not stay under the
scorching heat because they want to experience what it feels like to go
to live in the sun. They do not labour under the rain because they want
to experiment with rainwaters. They do not risk their lives for the love
of risks. They are jobless, they are helpless.
Do not fall into the error of thinking
that it is a lifestyle they have chosen or because their ancestors swore
that they would never have a comfortable life. Do not forget that a
good number of them are university graduates. Yes, you would see
graduates among motor park touts, taxi operators, okada riders, cement
sellers and plain street hawkers. Many more are marketers for banks and
only depend on commissions- that is if and when they find customers. If
they see no customer or are unable to convince folks to bring money to
these banks, they go home hungry, even in their suits! Some who “work”
earn as little as twenty thousand naira monthly and spend the bulk of it
on transport; nothing is said of feeding and clothing which are basic
necessities.
Interestingly, Nigeria does not run a
welfare scheme for her unemployed. You do not receive any form of
support from government if you are out of job like is the case even in
some African countries. Also in Nigeria, stealing is highly prohibited
especially petty thieving. If you steal a thousand naira for instance-
perhaps to pay the fee immigration is asking, chances are that you would
be burnt with abandoned motor tyres and petrol if you are caught. You
may go free if you steal in billions but we shall return to that on a
later date. Again, many of our parents and uncles hardly earn enough to
support themselves before thinking of anyone else. Even when they earn
enough, the dependency ratio in the country is way too high that before a
man who earns say a hundred thousand naira which is what my mum earns
even after teaching in a public school in Abia state for well over 30
years, she would have over ten persons baying for that little salary
that you may feel bad collecting anything from her even when she spares
something for you. It does not make sense for a graduate to be making
phone calls to mummy daily when grandma has not been attended to and
another aunty needs 50k to make up for her rent before she is pushed out
by her greedy, heartless landlord. Remember also that there are younger
ones to cater for too.
What’s the point in all of these? The
one thousand naira the Nigerian immigration service is asking millions
of Nigerians to pay as recruitment fee is way beyond the capacity of
majority of those millions. Let me paint a graphic picture of what it
takes to get one thousand naira. If you sell recharge cards, you will
have to sell as many as 600 units of 100 naira MTN, GLO or Airtel
recharge cards to be able to raise 1000 naira. Can anyone sell 600 units
of 100 naira cards in a day or even two? If you sell 100 units daily,
you will have to sell for six consecutive days at an unreduced rate to
make the 1000 naira immigration is asking us to pay before being
admitted into what essentially is a gambling affair at best if not
worse- if you remember that the Jonathans, the Sambos, the Obasanjos and
the Atikus will all send in names for express recruitment before the
millions who will follow due process are ever considered. Permit me to
paint another portrait of how much you will suffer to raise a thousand
naira. Chibuzor sell sells buns in front of my house. For each unit of
buns he sells at 50 naira, he makes a gain of 10 naira. Chibuzor buys a
maximum of 20 units every day as he has to face stiff competition from
the retailers of sausage rolls within the neighbourhood too. Now
assuming Chibuzor keeps all the gains he makes each day, forgoes food,
water and does not recharge his handset, it would take him five days of
selling all his 20 units of buns to be able to scrap 1000 naira. In sum,
his earnings in five days would be thrown into the gambling pot.
I have gone this far to illustrate the
difficulty of raising 1000 naira for this class of Nigerians who will be
sending in applications to the Nigeria Immigration Service. Nigerians
must ask: where is this money (my estimate tells me it would be 10, 000,
000, 000. 00- ten billion naira- 10, 000, 000 applicants multiplied by
1000 naira) going into? Into whose account are we paying into? Is it
legal to make money from unemployed Nigerians? Is the exercise more of a
revenue generation drive than a recruitment affair? Will the proceeds
from this be paid into the federation account as required by law? I
understand a consultancy firm is handling the whole recruitment exercise
for the agency, now who appointed this consulting firm? What is their
competence and on what basis would the sharing and rationing of money be
carried out? Who in the first instance brought this idea of fleecing
unemployed Nigerians? How much did the CG pay as recruitment fee when he
joined the service?
If the Comptroller General of NIS cannot
provide cogent and convincing answers to these straight questions, I
strongly believe he should be summoned by the National Assembly and be
made to apologize to Nigerian, refund those who have paid their money
and the fee withdrawn completely and immediately. Nigerians must not pay
government agencies for jobs. It is corruption in its most wicked form.
I would also suggest the EFCC, ICPC and every anti-corruption body in
the country to step into this issue and in all other similar instances-
the Nigeria Air Force too. We must stand up in this country for our
rights.
In the very likely event that these
government agencies and members of the national assembly fail to step
into this issue, I do not think it would be out of place for Nigerian
youths to take issues in their own hands. We must use our energy and
size to send a strong signal to these agents of exploitation that enough
is enough. No violence please.
Say NO to exploitation. Say NO to
corruption. Nigerian youths must be spared the agony of having to pay
for jobs that have likely been offered to sons and daughters of
politicians and party faithfuls. Even more importantly, we must insist
on a very transparent recruitment process.
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