Africa airline jobs scam

Airline Employment Scam

When the management of Trans Africa World Airlines asked job seekers to come with N15, 000 each for the procurement of e-passport and N3,000 administrative fee last month, many thought it was passport to a new world. Thousands of desperate job seekers trooped to the airline’s office.

The company, which address was given as ”Murtala Mohammed International Airport/Local Wing, Ikeja, Lagos State,” is located under a large, white canopy erected in the premises of an uncompleted two storey building located at 190/192 Egbeda/Idimu Road, Abule-Odu Bus Stop in Alimosho, Lagos, where it conducted the interview for ‘new staff.’

Nobody knew the actual number of positions available, only that there were vacancies for those interested in cargo handling and being part of the cabin crew excluding the pilot.

The vacant positions were not advertised, rather, participants were drawn from churches and social organisations known to the company’s management.

Some of the applicants who visited the employment site and who spoke with our correspondent observed that the whole process is akin to kalokalo, the one-armed bandit game of luck.

In fact, many others left the venue unconvinced that the positions were really available. They did not know if they had been employed or if they were being kept in view, even on the last day, Friday, August 15, 2008.

Investigation by our correspondent revealed something ‘shady‘ about the whole process.

Trans Africa World Airlines, which claimed to deliver its service with ”A touch of class and excellence,” is yet to acquire the legal approval to operate as an airline company, which core positions, it was seeking to fill with staff.

Only recently, the company obtained an Air Transport Licence after transforming from an undisclosed name.

Checks at the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, which has records of all airlines in Nigeria, showed that Trans Africa World Airlines was yet to obtain an Air Operation Certificate, without which it could not operate any air flight schedule.

Head of Media Relations at the NCAA, Mr. Sam Adurogboye, confirmed the pending position of the company.

“From NCAA records, Trans Africa World Airlines existed in another name in the past. They transformed into the current name. It has a licence for the new name. But it is yet to get an AOC.

“The implication is that without an AOC, it cannot operate an air flight schedule any where in the country. It will have to get that first, before any other thing.”

Our correspondent gathered that those who applied at Trans Africa World Airlines, – people with different educational qualifications, including secondary school leavers - were instructed to come for training in white and black uniform. No written test, no interview, no short listing was carried out.

According to the company, all the applicants that fulfilled the requirement of paying the sum of N18,000 employment fee were as good as being employed.

The company remained silent, however, on how the Passport was going to be obtained, as well as when the job was going to begin.

Other requirements included an application letter, photocopies of educational certificates, a medical report, a police report, birth certificate and four passport photographs.

Worse still, no receipt was issued for the payments. Those who paid were given a piece of paper (handwritten) indicating the sum collected from them.

A copy of such letter had neither company’s stamp nor signature. However, the applicants were told after the exercise to go home and wait for further information.

Asked if Trans Africa World Airlines had the power to employ staff for jobs it was not licensed to carry out yet, Adurogboye said NCAA was equally investigating the report.

”We have heard before you came today. We are equally investigating. We have summoned them for a meeting on Tuesday. You may join the meeting if you want.

”We will issue a categorical statement when we conclude our investigation.”

Although the meeting was held as scheduled, our correspondent was not allowed to attend as promised, owing to the absence, from office, of Adurogboye on the day.

It was however, reliably learnt that that was the third meeting NCAA held with the Executive Director of Trans Africa World Airlines, Mrs. Yemisi Wellington-Alafa, on the activity of her company.

Following her tacit denial, she was required in the previous meetings to denounce the activity or put the record straight within seven days, through a national media advertisement.

Curiously, while she has failed, for whatever reason, to carry out the advertisement, NCAA‘s investigation has also remained inconclusive.

On Tuesday, August 26, our correspondent met with her at Citi Guardian Chambers, Gbemisola House, Ikeja with a media consultant, Mr. Babatunji Wusu, in attendance.

But she refused to have the interview recorded, explaining that there was no need since it was planned to be ”a family affair.”

She denied knowledge of the illegal recruitment activity initially, but blamed other people for her woes, when she eventually admitted that money was indeed received from applicants. She said her company was still at stage four of AOC acquisition.

Asked if her company‘s activity was legal, Wellington-Alafa said, ”I did not know you are now a lawyer. The youth activity that my Mum does has been on for a long time now. It is the activity that was held there. It has nothing to do directly with Trans Africa World Airlines.”

Later, she added, ”And I told my Mum not to conduct the exercise even though she said it would involve only her church members.”

Asked why she has not carried out an advertisement to denounce the activity, if Trans Africa World Airlines was not in a hurry as she claimed, the Executive Director said she was not rushing it because she was planning to include many other things in the advert.