November 07, (THEWILL) — The Ebonyi State Commissioner for Housing and Urban Development, Engr. Francis Ori, has raised alarm over the activities of fraudsters, who are impersonating him to defraud unsuspecting members of the public under the guise of offering government contracts and job opportunities.
Speaking during a press briefing with journalists in his Abakaliki office on Friday, Engr Ori described the development as “worrisome and damaging”, emphasising that he has no private dealings involving the award of contracts or job placements outside official government procedures.
“It’s my pleasure to have you people in my office today to hear from the host and to put the record straight.
“A few weeks ago, I received a call from someone claiming I promised him a job. I was surprised because I had no such discussion with him”, he said.
The commissioner narrated how several individuals had approached his office, alleging that they had been in contact with a person using his name and photo to promise them contract approvals in exchange for money.
He said, in one instance, a victim claimed to have lost over N1,050,000, while another group said they paid N650,000 to the same impersonator.
According to Ori, the victims had even spoken on the phone with the fraudster, who identified himself as “Engr. Ori Francis”, using a blue line phone number (08057778683) that displayed his (commissioner’s) name — a tactic that convinced the victims of the scammer’s authenticity.
“I showed them my official portrait and asked if that was the person they had been speaking with. It was then they realised they had been scammed.
“We immediately reported the matter to the police, DSS, and other security agencies”, he explained.
The commissioner stated that all contracts and employment opportunities in his ministry follow due process and are supervised by the Ebonyi State Public Procurement Council, adding that jobs “are not discussed over the phone or through intermediaries.
“We have never awarded any job without it going through the Ebonyi State Public Procurement Council.
“Jobs are advertised publicly, and only eligible and qualified companies are considered. No one should claim to offer jobs on my behalf”, he added.
Ori admonished members of the public to verify any information by visiting the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development directly rather than relying on social media or phone calls.
“If anyone claims to be the Commissioner for Housing and offers you a job, walk into the office and confirm. If you don’t meet me in person here, you are dealing with a fraudster,” he cautioned.
When asked about the progress of the investigation, Engr. Ori confirmed that the victims have made official statements to the police and that security agencies are actively pursuing the perpetrators.
“The police, DSS, and other security agencies are on the matter. The essence of this briefing is to clear my name and warn the public to desist from dealing with anyone posing as me”, he said.
He further appealed to the media to help disseminate the information widely to prevent more people from falling victim.
“An impostor is seriously damaging my reputation. I don’t know how many more people he has defrauded. Please help me put the record straight”, Ori pleaded.
Sunday Ogbu is a professional journalist with eight - twelve years experience that had worked with various print and online media. Sunday specializes in news reporting with the aim of educating his readers on current social, political and economic occurences within his area of coverage. Sunday is a strong force to work with in the media industry and uses his positive attitude and tireless energy to encourage others to work hard and succeed. Sunday is inspired daily by his wife and their four children. In his free time, Sunday likes sight-seeing, reading and discussing issues of societal interest.
