By Harry Awurumibe, Editor, Abuja Bureau
For the second time in 48 hours, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has raised alarm over the activities of some unscrupulous elements issuing fake employment letters purporting to be acting on behalf of the Commission.
On Friday, INEC had alerted Nigerians of a fake
Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) online registration portal which was set up by fraudulent elements in the society who are bent on using the good name of the Commission to defraud unsuspecting members of the public.
The trend has continued as Barrister Festus Okoye, National Commissioner & Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, on Saturday once again drew the attention of members of the public to the activities of scammers and those we have previously referred to as “fake employment merchants and racketeers” using the name of the Commission to commit crimes.
Okoye revealed this in a press statement titled: “Circulation of Fake INEC Employment Recruitment Advert in the Social Media” which was made available to journalists on Saturday.
It read in parts:
“The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) wishes to, once again, draw the attention of members of the public to the activities of scammers and those we have previously referred to as “fake employment merchants and racketeers” who open fake employment websites and issue fake employment letters purporting to be acting on behalf of the Commission.
These scammers are once again circulating the Commission’s old recruitment advertisement on the social media with the obvious intention to lure and dupe unsuspecting members of the public with attractive offers of employment.
The Commission unequivocally dissociates itself from the antics of these scammers and fake employment merchants and reiterates the fact that its recruitment portal is no longer active and was shut down the moment the Commission suspended its recruitment exercise.
It will be recalled that on the 30th of May 2020 and 31st December 2020, the Commission issued a statement drawing the attention of the public to the circulation of purported letters of employment/appointment allegedly emanating from it. We had informed members of the public that the recruitment exercise has been suspended.
The Commission will continue to conduct its activities in the best tradition of openness and transparency. This policy of transparency informs the wide publicity given to its recruitment drive any time the Commission embarks on such.
We advise the public to discountenance all rumours of recruitment by the Commission and treat letters of employment/recruitment purportedly emanating from the Commission as a scam”.
