The war against job racketeering in Bonny Local Government Area of Rivers State has recorded another casualty, this time the Bonny Employment Monitoring Committee with its Chairman arraigned in court for alleged involvement in selling of job chances.

Chairman of Bonny LGA, Dame Anengi Claude-Wilcox on Monday, July 17, 2023 sent the committee packing with an order that members hand over all government property in their possession to the Secretary to the Bonny LG Council, Ralph Jamaica.

A statement by her Deputy Press Secretary, Boma Waribor stated that the Committee Chairman, Tamuno Dan-Jumbo was allegedly involved in sharing of proceeds from sale of job chances, thus he and his committee were ordered to step aside.  

“Following the alleged involvement of the Chairman of the Bonny Local Government Employment Monitoring Committee in the sharing of proceeds from sale of job chances, the Executive Chairman of Bonny Local Government Area, Dame Hon Anengi Barasua Claude-Wilcox, DSSRS, JP., has directed that the Employment Monitoring Committee Chairman and Members should step aside from acting in the capacity with immediate effect as further investigation on the matter continues.”

“Accordingly, the Committee Members are directed to handover all government properties in their possession to the Secretary of Council, Hon. Ralph Sotonye Jamaica, on or before close of work on Monday, July 17th, 2023.”

To avoid an interregnum, three persons, Opuada Valentine Hart, Abietogha Apiafi Brown, and Igonibo Jim-Halliday have been appointed to perform oversight functions on the Committee, a move many believe is critical to ensuring transparency and accountability.  

“In the meantime, a three-member Committee to oversee the affairs of the Bonny Local Government Employment Monitoring Committee has been approved by the Executive Chairman as follows: 1. Sir Opuada Valantine Hart – Chairman 2. Mr Abietogha Apiafi Brown – Member 3. Warisenibo Igonibo Jim-Halliday – Member.”

Police sources told Kristina Reports last week that the Employment Monitoring Committee Chairman, Tamuno Dan-Jumbo was arrested in response to a petition against him alleging involvement in job sales and sharing of proceeds with some yet-to-be-identified persons and was instantly arraigned in court where he was granted bail.

Efforts by Kristina Reports to reach Dan-Jumbo on these allegations proved abortive as at the time of this report as he was yet to answer calls to his mobile line or respond to messages sent to him via WhatsApp.

The spate of job racketeering has become a worrisome decimal in the management of employments in Bonny Island, a situation that has continued to rob genuine job seekers myriad opportunities to secure gainful employment in an island bubbling robust multinationals presence.

The NLNG Train 7 project, gas liquefaction plant, and water reticulation plants; Shell Nigeria’s Bonny Oil and Gas Terminal, ExxonMobil’s Bonny River Terminal, Julius Berger’s Bonny-Bodo Road and Bridges project, including facilities of Total E&P, BelemaOil and Chevron, amongst others are some of the projects with employment opportunities in Bonny Island.

Strangely, the presence of these multinationals and their ongoing projects have not assuaged the worrisome unemployment statistics in the island LGA, with stakeholders applauding the LG Chairman, Dame Claude-Wilcox for her deft moves to arrest the situation.