The Bonny Integrated Recruitment Centre (BIRC) says it was already working to curb the menace of job racketeering and ensure that residents of Bonny Island have access to job opportunities in the area.

Public Relations Officer of the BIRC, Sodienye Pepple said this on Sunday, June 4, 2023 in a telephone interview with Kristina Reports.

He acknowledged that though the BIRC was aware of the trending rumours of selling of job chances in the area, it was yet to receive any formal complaint about the issue, informing that efforts were being made by the Centre to investigate the issue and ensure it becomes a thing of the past.  

“The BIRC has over the past weeks heard rumours and social media publications concerning sales of jobs.”

“I’m not sure what the reasons are, but we haven’t received official complaint from any individual or a victim yet.”

He stated that the Centre was conducting an audit of its operations and processes to track the likely loopholes being leveraged by criminal minded people to shortchange of the people of job opportunities available to them, disclosing that a whistle blowing policy would soon be launched to help checkmate the menace.

“These audits, as we speak, are on top gear; part of the effort is internal audit, to check within ourselves first, and if necessary purge the system from within.”

“Second, we intend to set up a whistle blowing policy. This will also come with incentives to whoever is willing to come forth with information and tip offs of who these culprits are.”

The menace of job racketeering that has denied the people of Bonny, indigenes and residents alike, of job opportunities on the various construction projects ongoing in the area has become a cause for concern by stakeholders.

As the days go by, the population on unemployed persons, mostly young people within the ages of 19 and 35 keeps skyrocketing, giving the authorities the scare that these could boil over and become a security crisis if the menace is not addressed as quickly as possible.