Recruitment Fee, Nigeria Immigration Service And A New Form Of Corruption - The Exploitation Of The Unemployed By Government Agencies By Karl Mantis Earl
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 spefics 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 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.”
But the issue at stake is beyond being populist or seeking to make a mountain out of nothing. It is about asking questions and insisting on honest answers. I am certain no one will begrudge any Nigerian the right to ask questions specially in matters affecting him/her. What I will do in this essay is simply no more than exercising my right to ask questions as every and any other citizen and I would demand nothing short of sincere answers from the authorities concerned- the comptroller general of immigrations, the chief of air staff and the man who runs the show in the army.
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, dependant, 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 rain waters. 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.
Karl Mantis Earl is the co-founder of eaglepostng.com, an author, commentator and humorist. He holds a degree in economics. He can be reached by email on jikharo@yahoo.com. http://www.eaglepostng.com/read.php?pid=364 1 Like |
