CHRONICLE OF A MARRIED MAN

Walking on my street sometime last week, I saw on the walls of some houses, these fake job adverts which read thus "Job in milk factory, 3000 per day. Call 080blahblahblah". It brought back memories from my younger years, job searching in the streets of Lagos.Most of us must have experienced fake job peddlers one time or the other in our adult lives. Below is one of my experiences.



I had about three friends in my circle who were job seekers like me, we would forward vacancies to ourselves, encourage and support ourselves. One day, I recieved a message from one of them, it was a vacancy with an email address included. I quickly called him and asked him who gave him, he said a former classmate of his sent it to him, that I should try it.

I sent my CV and a message was sent inviting me for an interview. The interview was slated for the following day. I was wondering bwhich company will send out messages inviting people for interview the next day. What if the person was not in town? What if he or she has to go hustle on a construction site for one day in order to raise money for transportation and the rest? That was the first red flag but I ignored.

The next day, I ironed my trousers, shirt and coat, knack the Italian shoes that my uncle dashed me, sprayed my *Balilah" perfume and left home for the interview.

I got there 30mins before the time and met about 20 other people waiting outside the gate. At the stated time, we were about 50 outside the gate. Then they opened it for us and ushered us inside a hall.

We sat down and wrote our names/phone numbers on a book that was passed round, waiting for them to start calling us inside an office one by one like a normal interview.

Suddenly I heard a sound, it was from the television in front of us. In my mind, they were not as bad as I thought after they locked us outside the gate like people seeking factory job in a manufacturing company in Mishin Lagos. They want to entertain us with music or movie on television while we wait.

My people, to my shock, it was a man that started talking on TV , telling us about how e need to take care of our health and advertising a foreign company that sells herbal drugs, the company's name forev..... livi..pro... 

I was confused but was determined to see the end. After 30mins or so, one woman n suit came and addressed us. She told us how their company produces millionaires, how they travelled on all expense paid trips to abroad for vacation. After she was done, a man came and talked his own. By now, the number of applicants had reduced to less than 30. 

Six hours later, we were still receiving lectures. Huger started biting me. it I was determined to see their end, we were less than 20people left in the hall at this time..

Not long after, the speaker dropped the bombshell. He said we would have to buy their products and sell them and also bring referrals. He said we would have to drop 5k each and we would be given products worth 30000. I stood up and headed for the door. That was when I noticed that they had a bouncer at the entrance. He asked me where I was going to, I told him I wanted to buy snacks outside the gate as I was very hungry. That was how I ran.