Unemployed persons lose N750,000 to illegal recruitment scheme

Over 60 unemployed graduates in Warri/Asaba may have lost about N750, 000 to illegal sale of the Delta State Graduate Employment Enhancement Programme (GEEP) in the past two weeks.

The Delta State job creation officer, Prof. Eric Eboh, confirmed that there have been growing syndicates who allegedly collected N50, 000 from each graduate with assurances to offer them employment through the scheme.

Saying that the GEEP forms are collected free of charge, Prof. Eboh further confirmed that over 60 unsuspecting graduates seeking employment via the scheme had been duped, disclosing that job scammers often pose as government officials for employment with complimentary cards.

His words: “We are aware of scammers ripping off unsuspecting graduates for GEEP jobs. We as a government are strategizing on how to bring the crooks to book. It is unfortunate that unsuspecting graduates pay for the forms that are free. Security agents have been put in strategic places where the suspects would be arrested and brought to book.”

The Guardian gathered that since the commencement of the GEEP Scheme, crooks have allegedly hijacked the process with the collaboration of some officials of the job creation office in Asaba. But Prof Eboh insisted that the yet to be unidentified crooks are job scammers that had been operating over years in the state.

In a swift reaction, the police spokesman in the state, Mr Andrew Aniamaka said the police were yet to arrest any of the suspects, confirming that investigation is on-going in the activities of the crooks.

Also speaking on the matter, Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Youths Development, Hope George, warned unemployed graduates not to be too desperate about the forms, saying that the forms are distributed for free.