Plateau applicants besiege newspaper vendors for vacancies

Sama’ila said, “Many times I have been invited for an aptitude test; they even sent me an email to update my information which clearly showed that I succeeded in the aptitude test but I cannot tell what went under the ground. I believe because of the Nigerian factor of ‘godfatherism’ people like us find it […]

Sama’ila said, “Many times I have been invited for an aptitude test; they even sent me an email to update my information which clearly showed that I succeeded in the aptitude test but I cannot tell what went under the ground. I believe because of the Nigerian factor of ‘godfatherism’ people like us find it difficult to secure a job.”  
Sama’ila is one of thousands of job applicants who often visit vendors to go through newspapers in search of job vacancies. Plateau State is not exempted from the problems associated with unemployment and its devastating effects to the fabrics of society. What makes the situation in Plateau peculiar is its link to the various communal crises that have rocked the state in the past and its devastating impact on the state’s economy. In fact, poverty and unemployment have often been blamed as the two leading causes of the incessant communal clashes that have occurred in Plateau.

The destruction of millions of naira worth of properties and businesses including the Terminus Jos main market located in the heart of the city have affected the state’s economy and rendered many traders without daily bread. The crisis is said to have also chased out investors and potential investors from the state.
That is why when Mobile Telecommunications Network (MTN) opened a call centre in Jos in 2010 under an outsourcing arrangement with Communication Network Support Service Limited (CNSSL) it was greeted with a lot of excitement and over 650 graduates, mostly from Plateau State were provided with employment. Many saw the call centre as a way of reducing the incessant rise in unemployed youths especially when the telecommunication company expressed hope of future expansion of its Jos staff strength to over 2000.
However, barely two years later, the workers protested over what they described as unfair treatment by the management of CNSSL and called for a harmonization of salary structure as well as working conditions with other MTN call centre staff in other states. Weeks of protest had resulted in MTN taking a decision to close down the centre based on what it described as the escalation of violence in the city and the attendant risk posed to lives and property. Despite threats to boycott all MTN services by the Plateau State government, over 650 graduates had remained out of jobs.
 Victor Onotu who graduated from Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU) Bauchi and had worked at the Jos MTN call centre said he had been out of job for almost eight months when the telecommunication company closed shop until he made a decision to go for a job lesser than his qualification.
He claimed, “I now ride a tricycle belonging to one of my neighbours. It is not the worst job, people say it is below my qualification after spending five years in the university but it pays the bills.”
Onotu who said  he made at least N10, 000 a week from his current job explained,  “I still go through newspapers for vacancies and sometimes apply for the ones I am qualified for but I no longer depend on that because I once wasted my time looking for white collar jobs.”        
While a number of jobless youths are wasting away at local bear parlours consuming alcohol or the popular local gin known as goskolo, educated youths are usually seen around vendors every morning flipping through the pages of newspapers in search of vacancy announcements.
But Sani Ibrahim said  flipping through newspapers was a waste of time and urged graduates to develop entrepreneurial and vocational skills that would l help them generate income.
  “I used to pay a vendor N20 to let me flip through all the newspapers in search of vacancies but after six months without a job, I decided to learn how to make hand-made leather shoes for adults and kids. I still flip through newspapers for vacancies or go online but I don’t depend on it and I advise applicants not to depend on that.”
He added that,  “Some people say unemployment is the cause of the crisis in the state but I believe the crisis is the cause of the unemployment because small scale business have been destroyed, investors that would have provided jobs for youths have left the city and the burning of the terminus market has led to the loss of billions of naira worth of goods which crippled many traders.”
Salihu Momoh who is presently pursuing a master’s programme at the Department of Political Science of the University of Jos said he now regularly searched for vacancies in newspapers.
Momoh said the ongoing ASUU strike had halted his educational pursuit but explained that,  “I haven’t worked before. But I prefer to work with a federal government establishment or with an NGO because I served with Society for Family Health during my service year, but they have a policy not to retain corps members.”

Newspaper vendors in Jos  said they sometimes insisted  applicants buy their papers instead of constantly coming to flip through.
Auwal Sani, a newspaper vendor at the Jos Terminus Market said he was usually besieged by prospective applicants who enquired for vacancy in some national dailies especially on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Sani said, “We don’t usually allow people to check our papers for whatever reason because they are for sell but sometimes when applicants plead to check for vacancy placement I let them free of charge.”
 He also explained that though there were a few regular faces, most of the applicants they came across were passers-by and not regular.
For Sama’ila who once worked with a private company before falling victim of retrenchment, he now said his interest was in working for any government establishment due to the job security it provided.
He added that , “If only jobs were given based on merit I would have been employed today. ‘Godfatherism’ only gives room for mediocrity.”
Despite his complaints, Sama’ila said  he was  still hopeful. “I am a believer; I believe in destiny. What is mine is mine; that is what encourages me to keep pushing, keep going through newspapers,” he said.