Festus Keyamo (SAN), Minister of State for Labour & EMployment
THE federal government has alerted the public of scams by some disgruntled elements, disclaiming the web portals for recruitment of 774,000 Nigerians into the special public works programme the government announced recently.
The Minister of Finance, Budget & National Planning, Zainab Ahmed recently announced that President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the deployment of 774,000 Nigerians from all the 774 Local Government Areas in the country at 1000 persons per LGA for its intervention programme following the outburst of the coronavirus in the society.
Not long after the announcement, many recruitment portals were created and being circulated through many social media outlets with procedures and guidelines for applications into the programme from unknown persons claiming to be government agencies.
Following enquiries to relevant ministries and agencies, federal government in a statement on Friday through the Honourable Minister of State, Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo (SAN) disclaimed the web portals as fraudulent and hackers activities, and urged the public to disregard such information circulating on the internet, adding that the government is still working on the modalities for the scheme.
Keyamo emphatically stated the recruitment will only be open to the public when the modalities are ready and approved, and the government will communicate to the public openly and accordingly, and not through social media outlets. The minister therefore warned the public not to fill any portals or release personal information to the dubious elements which is perceptively their target.
“My attention has been drawn to a certain advertorial circulating on Social Media tilted ‘Application Opens for 774,000 employment By FG: See Requirements, Salary and How to apply’.
“As the Supervising Minister over the National Directorate of Employment in which the Special Public Works Programme of the Federal Government is domiciled, and having conferred with the Director-General, Dr. Nasiru Ladan Mohammed Argungu, we wish to alert members of the public that the said advertorial or anything of such presently circulating is fake and should be disregarded.
“I have just finished consultation with the Hon. Minister of Finance and we are presently working out how the scope of the program would be expanded and executed with other relevant Ministries and stakeholders across the country.
“The public would be duly informed by this office when all the modalities have been graciously approved by Mr. President.
“We are also informed of instructions by certain persons going round in some States to the effect that names of those to be employed under the program should be compiled. We also urge these people not to embark on an exercise in futility as the guidelines for such recruitment and those to be involved have not been released by the agency”, Keyamo stated.
