boxypane:
With unsolicited SMS messages announcing
employment opportunities flying around
and colourfully designed as well as cheap
fliers being trust in people’s faces at every
junction or street corner, Medinat Kanabe,
who got curious took a trip into the jealously
guarded world of recruitment agencies.
You’d be amazed at what she found out.
With the growing rate of unemployment in
Nigeria and the frustration that comes with it,
many unemployed graduates will do anything to
get a job, even if it takes paying through their
noses to certain people who claim to be in the
position to help them get the jobs.
For this reason, many dubious Nigerians who
understand the desperation of these
unemployed group of people, have created
many phony platforms to catch in on the
situation and extort money from them, under
the pretext of helping them get professional
jobs. But instead, they end up giving them
unprofessional or menial jobs. In the process,
they also make money for themselves.
The two main methods used in getting these
graduates are via bulk SMS – to phone numbers
sourced from NYSC brochures, or through
randomly composed numbers, and via the
distribution of flyers listing vacancies, with
numbers to call; without detail office address or
job details.
Now, because these graduates are desperate,
they respond to these SMS messages inviting
them for job interviews in places they never
applied to, forgetting that the days of express
job offers are long over.
On their lucky days, these outfits may get
responses from as many as 40 to 50 job-
seekers; but rather than carry out a proper
interview, as this reporter found out, they
simply ask them cheap questions and tell them
to go and await a response. To a second
category of job seekers, they proceed to
lecture on how to become big business people
if they register with a fee in the region of
N15,000.
Mission One: Expelled for saying ‘hi’
This reporter first attended a supposed job
interview after receiving an SMS stating that
“You are invited for a chat at Boss Resources,
90, Awolowo Way, Ikeja, Opposite Man House
by 9am prompt, for inquires call 07033167996.
Dressed in suit and carrying a file like a typical
job seeker, she headed for the address. The
office is located by the road along Awolowo
Way, Ikeja and very easy to locate. It is an old,
one-storey building that houses some other
offices.
She got there at exactly 15 minutes past 9am
and was made to show the SMS invite as a proof
of invitation. Thereafter, the security officer at
the entrance told her she was late, but could go
in quietly and join the others.
On joining the others, she however discovered
that this wasn’t a normal interview process at
all. They whoever they were – had started
showing a video with many foreigners talking
about direct selling and how they have made a
lot of money from it.
The video does not show any of the 12
representatives in the interview hall or talk
about Boss Resources or what the company
does. The representatives also did not tell you
how they got your number; they just proceed
to play on the psychology of the job seekers.
A lady who gave her name as Fatimah was the
first to speak. She told the job seekers that
there is no need looking for jobs or working for
anybody and that it was better to be an investor
because investors make more money, while
employees get used and in the end, either gets
retrenched, resigns or retires without any thing
to fall back on.
She also condemned government jobs, citing
disadvantages such as insecurity, time-
consumption and the difficult nature of the
jobs. She also listed examples of government
organisations that have sacked its staff without
paying them their dues.
Unfortunately this reporter was not able to
complete this session, as she was sent out after
about 15 minutes for talking. The 12 company
representatives in the hall make sure you do
not talk to anyone, stand, receive or make any
call during the lecture. They tell anyone not
willing to comply with these rules that, “if you
want to leave, the door is behind you.”
This reporter also witnessed how a lady seated
next to her was harassed for merely saying
‘hello’ as she (the reporter) took her seat beside
her. She was not just thumped on the back, she
was ordered out of the hall after being
thoroughly insulted by the owner of the agency
(Boss Resources), Mr. Dele Joy Akinsunmola.
After a while, this reporter was also asked to
join the lady, since she was the cause of her
misfortune.
On demanding to know how the agency got her
number, she was told to call the number on the
text message.
Mission Two (Day One)
This reporter didn’t get another such invitation
until five months later. This time, it read thus:
“After a careful consideration of your
application, you have been shortlisted for an
interview with BG Nigeria at 16 Akinremi
Street, Anifowose, Ikeja, Opposite New Garage
on Thursday 7th January by 2pm. Info, Mr.
Chris 07037855775.
Determined to witness this session to the end,
this reporter made a deliberate effort to
comply with the rules. Curiously, one of the
lady staff stood in front of the invitees;
ostensibly to make sure none of them spoke to
each other. As it were, she was available at all
times to take all questions and it was soon
discovered that it was a strategy to keep the job
invitees from asking questions about the
organisation. And if you are caught talking to
anyone, you hear something like “Hey, what are
you asking her? She is here like you and doesn’t
know more than you. Ask me if you have any
questions.”
They also provided a book, where we wrote our
names and the phone numbers that invited us.
I was number 12. By 2pm, we were told to go
upstairs to a room, where our interviews would
be taken.
There, a lady who gave her name as Shola
welcomed us and gave us a paper with five
questions, to be answered in 10 minutes.
The questions were basically about job and
opportunity. On the top of the paper was
written, Boss Group Nigeria, followed by an
instruction to answer all questions. When I saw
Boss Group, I remembered Boss Resources and
began to ask myself if both companies weren’t
the same. I however relaxed, seeing that the
addresses were different.
One of the questions read thus: ‘In your own
words, differentiate between job and
opportunity,’ another read: Job and
opportunity, which would you prefer? Others
read ‘Where do you see yourself in five years,
Describe yourself in one sentence and a last
question that I cannot quite recollect now.
Thereafter, we were made to watch a video by
Robert Kiyosaki on financial future after which a
lady walked, who introduced herself as Fatimah,
came up. I recognised her immediately as the
lady at Boss Resources. This convinced me that I
was with the same people and strengthened my
determination to stay till the end. Fortunately,
she did not recognise me.
She gave a rehash of everything she said five
months earlier and added that at Boss Group,
they do not give jobs but opportunities. “We
build people to make money,” she said.
As employed persons, she said one depends on
salaries and spend all his time working for his
boss. As a self-employed, she said you don’t
fare any better, as your shop could be locked or
you could be made to pay for land use, pay
taxes, and yet cannot have access to loans. Also,
she said, you only sell during the season when
your goods are needed.
Like an incurable pessimist, she also proceeded
to reel out all her perceived downsides of the
civil service, the medical profession, law and
accountancy; adding that it is not about CV, but
what you can do for yourself which is what they
are about.
In conclusion, she said “We will give you the
opportunity because we are big business
owners. You don’t need a job with another
man’s company because you will work very hard
and look older than your age.”
Then she called on the head of the organisation,
a certain Mr. Dele Joy Akinsunmola to address
the job seekers. At that point, I began to hide
my face, because I was seated in front and
using a false name. Besides, I was sure he
would recognise me because I left his office the
last time furious.
He started by telling the job seekers that he
understood their confusion as to what they
were doing there, but assured us that we would
not regret it. But this was already over an hour
after our arrival. People were tired and thirsty;
some had left after realising that the session
was not a job interview session, while some had
been sent out for answering phone-calls, talking
or because they slept off at some point.
After about 10 minutes, my worst fear came to
pass. Mr. Dele recognised me and asked “Hello
young lady, have I met you before. Do you
know me?” But I said no, denying ever meeting
him.
Not convinced, he looked at me again and asked
if I was sure I had never met him. And again I
denied; and he continued with the session.
He regaled us with stories of how he has
travelled the world and would be traveling
again this month. Interestingly, he announced
that he abandoned his residency in America
just to talk to the job seekers.
“What is this nonsense I am talking about? It is
just opportunity. It is crazy money. I spend
money the way I like. I make over N300,000 a
month, apart from other incomes I get from
the business. We will teach you how to make
money here. I will show you everything
tomorrow; but we will only show those who are
chosen after this session. You will get an SMS
inviting you tomorrow if you are selected.
Tomorrow you will know what we are into, you
will know how to make money and you will
become one of us if you are selected.” He
finished.
The session came to an end after 2 hours, 45
minutes, yet not one of the audience could tell
for what the company was into or what job to
expect.
As if to shore up our doubts, Mr. Dele said, “I
know when you get home you will meet PDP
(People Deceiving People), who will tell you
that we are deceiving you, that we are liars but
they don’t have anything to offer you.
On getting home, I received an SMS stating that
I had passed the first phase and was invited for
a second. It read: “After careful evaluation of
your psychological test, you have been
shortlisted for the final phase of the chat with
Boss Group Nigeria tomorrow by 11am.”
Day Two
Again, I set out and arrived 5 minutes ahead of
time. Inside, the people were already seated
and watching a video by Dr Mensa Otabil titled
The Power of Vision.
About 26 minutes into watching the video, a
lady, Mrs. Dewunmi Dada came in and turned it
off. She congratulated us for making it to the
second phase. She told us that she studied
Physics from Olabisi Onabanjo University and
implored us to bear with her as she went
through everything we went through the
previous day for the benefit of the people
coming for the first time. However, I noticed
that the new comers were not made to answer
any questions, like we did.
Before requesting that the video by Robert
Kiyosaki be played, she announced that if, in
the course of the video anyone discovered that
they were not interested, they could quietly
leave, because it was not by force.
After watching the video, she asked those who
were there the day before questions about a
cash flow quadrant that we had seen the
previous day. She wanted the older set to
lecture the new comers, and proceeded to
randomly call from amongst us. The lot fell on
me, but being too tired, I apologised and
requested that I was allowed to pass. She
picked offence, said I was rude and ordered me
to leave.
I pleaded, cried and told her that I couldn’t
leave because I needed the job. She then
pardoned me and told me that I was under
probation.
She took us through everything we went
through the previous day for another 2 and half
hours.
When she was sure that the old and new
comers were on the same page, she said the
time had come for us to know what the
company is into.
“We are into health maintenance, business
development, human resources, leverage,
fitness and wellness. So, no matter what you
do, you can work with us. You don’t need a
certificate to work here; you just need to know
how to make people listen and agree to
participate.
TESTIMONY:
Mr. Adela Alicia, who claimed to have worked
with MTN as a project manager for 12 years,
earning N220,000, but resigned to join Boss
Group and now makes more than N220,000
almost every week, also shared his ‘testimony.’
“I make over N600,000 in presentations
because I use the contacts I made in MTN,” he
said.
What however baffled this reporter was the
cheap, old dirty clothing he was wearing. His
skin didn’t look well-cared for, and neither was
his hair well-combed.
CAUGHT IN THE ACT
After filling the form, I pleaded that they let
me take mine home to persuade my husband
to give me the money, but they refused. I was
therefore left with no alternative but to take
quick shots of the form. By this, they prevented
me or any other person from taking out the
form as a probable evidence, thereby
underlining the fact that indeed, the whole
process was a scam.
I later went into another room to make my part
payment of N500.There I asked the lady if
there was a bigger company other than Boss
Group that gives the Leadership Development
Bonus. She answered in the affirmative. But
when I asked what the company was into, she
said I would know during my induction, after I
have paid the money. Literally, she appeared
well-trained and prepared for such nosey
questions.
We thus left the company for the second day
running without any information about the
bigger company or what they are into.
The next morning, I received an SMS stating
that my training continues the next day by
11am.
The denial
When the Nation tried to speak to the Boss
Group through one of their phone numbers,
09099164586 denied that they are a
recruitment agency and said it was probably a
mix up. Following more prodding, he begged to
attend to a client and that the reporter called
back in two minutes. The phone never rang
again, as the male voice on the other end
apparently had put it off.
Another conversation with another of their
numbers, 08091102759 went thus:
The Nation: Hello, am I on to the Boss Group
Voice: Yes?
The Nation: Good, I’m talking about the
recruitment agency; I’m trying to follow up on
the job recruitment exercise we went through
at your office…
Voice: Which recruitment agency? Excuse me…
hello
The Nation: Yeah, I’m trying to follow up on the
training we had at your office…
Voice: No this is not the recruitment office o
(and then the phone went off and dead.)
This confirmed that they indeed had something
to hide. Respondents on both end admitted
being from Boss Group, but quickly started
denying the moment this reporter started
asking questions about job recruitment and
reply to the job recruitment exercise.
Our experience in the hands of job scammers
Titilope Ogunbiyi is a victim. She said she saw
people distributing very attractive handbills and
requested for one. “I went there after some
days. We were interviewed. They asked us to
tell them about ourselves and how much we
would like to be paid. They then said we should
wait for their madam (boss). On arriving, she
told us stories of how we can go to Dubai, as
many times as we want.
Asked to describe the place, Ogunbiyi said “The
place is like a warehouse, Well Primax Consult,
located at 9, Oremeji Street, Iyana Isolo, Lagos.
The woman we met said we can make a lot of
money from it, that we can also buy our own
machine. She brought out wads of naira, saying
she made over N100,000 in a week. After
talking for over one hour, they told us to
register with N8,000 to get the GNLD ID card. I
gave them N2,000 and promised to return with
the remaining N6,000. But on getting home, I
thought about it and decided not go back.
She recalled that they will not tell you anything
at first. They will interview you, ask how much
you’d like to be paid and then proceed to
lecture you.”
Another interesting case was that of John
(surname withheld) who said: “I paid a
recruitment agency N15, 000 for a job after an
interview. About two weeks after, I was sent a
phone message to be at an address at
Ojuelegba to resume work as a bank teller in
Access bank; but when I got there I found that it
was a shop. The shop was wooden and their
business was sale of carpets.
“I was shocked and demanded to know if there
was no mix-up in the address. I found that
there was none and was utterly disappointed.
But I couldn’t do anything.”
Source: the nation They keep announcing don't pay anyagency for job advertised ,but people will not listen,ve gone for one @ cele busstop that told me to pay 500naira for written interview,don't know wen interview became written,with his coat he was wearing,a girl paid and I told him I will come another day,I just left,and caught his so called secretary spying on me @ d staircase,mayb she thought I brought police for them,or I was a spy |
Jobs/Vacancies / Re: 70k Job In Abuja: Advice Needed! by ehibaby(f): 1:39pm On Oct 27, 2016 
