$4,000 Farm Jobs on Offer In Ghana?

Want a $6,000 job? Send me $1,000 first

WANT to be paid up to US$2,000 a month as a farmer? How about US$4,000 as an administrative worker in Ghana, West Africa?

Global Farms Limited in Ghana had advertised these positions on Jobstreet.com, a recruitment website in Singapore.

Yes, the company is allegedly offering to pay that much in a country where the domestic economy revolves largely around subsistence agriculture.

Ghana has a per capita gross domestic product (GDP) of $3,860, the same as Cambodia's. Singapore's is $42,852.

So can the jobs be for real?

50 SINGAPOREANS

A Singaporean newspaper - The New Paper - called Ghana and spoke to the man who signed himself off as the CEO of the company.

Mr Osei Kwame insisted the jobs were for real and that 50 Singaporeans were already working for him.

Can we speak to them, we asked.

Mr Kwame apologised, saying the men were all out in the fields.

He said it's not easy to land the jobs because hundreds apply for limited positions.

But when this reporter posed as a job seeker, Global Farms Limited offered the job after one e-mail interview.

What's the catch?

Job-seekers have to transfer US$1,000 to the company before their travel documents can be processed.

Global Farms Limited made no mention of that in the advertisements.

Ghana has an embassy in Tokyo and an official told The New Paper a three-year work permit and residence permit would cost only US$300.

The company claims to deal in agriculture, dairy products, fishing and forestry.

It's looking to recruit 525 workers to fill a number of positions, ranging from farmers to assistant managers.

The advertisement was placed by the company's CEO on Jobstreet.com on 27 Oct.

It included the company's mailbox address and phone number.

Two days later, Mr Thanakajan, 34, a permanent resident here for five years, saw it and became excited.

He has a diploma in mechatronics engineering from Temasek Polytechnic but now runs an Indian restaurant with a partner.

Said Mr Kajan: 'Even though I am a half-owner of the restaurant, I wanted to find something more fulfilling. When I chanced upon the ad, I thought it was a dream come true.'

He declined to reveal how much he earns now.

HIRED

Mr Kajan said he sent his resume by e-mail to Mr Kwame on 29 Oct and received a reply the next day to say he had been hired.

As a senior production supervisor for three years, Mr Kajan was to receive a monthly salary of US$4,000.

The next day, Mr Kajan called Mr Kwame in Ghana to verify that there really was such a person and they spoke for about five minutes.

Mr Kajan said: 'He said I was hired based on my resume. I was very happy that I had got the job.'

But Mr Kajan's older brother, who wanted to known only as Mr Sega, was cautious and warned him that he was being taken for a ride.

On 2 Nov, Mr Kwame e-mailed Mr Kajan, asking him to remit US$1,000 to his address in Ghana 'as commitment'.

VISA

Only after receiving the money would the company process the documents and send the visa and air ticket to the employee.

Mr Kajan sent a reply to Mr Kwame soon after, requesting a scanned copy of the visa.

He wanted to verify if Mr Kwame had indeed processed his visa and work application with the Ghana Immigration Department.

Mr Kwame replied, attaching a certificate of registration. He said his company would send Mr Kajan's visa, work permit and one-way air ticket by courier upon receipt of the US$1,000.

Mr Kajan asked if he could remit half that amount instead and have the balance deducted from his salary.

Mr Kwame agreed and told Mr Kajan to send the money by a remittance company.

But Mr Kajan decided to stop all correspondence with Mr Kwame. He did not send any money.

'When I see your face, I'll know what job you can do'

Said Mr Kwame: 'When you come here, I will interview you and bring you around the premises. When I see your face, I will be able to know what job you can do.'

Mr Kwame said that the job offers were on a first-come first-served basis and there were still vacancies.

However, he stressed that I should send the US$1,000 first to process the 'work permit and visa'.

Mr Kwame even included many documents, including a company registration certificate and photos of the supposed farm area to support his claims.

On 4 Dec, Mr Kwame sent three e-mails asking for the money to be sent through a money transfer firm.

He said he has employed 50 Singaporeans, 68 Chinese nationals and 23 Malaysians.

He also claimed there were many other nationalities working for the company.

But why go to the extent of hiring foreigners for non-specialist jobs?

Mr Kwame called Ghanaians 'lazy and inexperienced'.

He said Ghanaians had caused many companies there to shut down their operations and he did not want his company to suffer the same fate.

When asked if I could speak to any of the Singaporeans working in his company, Mr Kwame sounded evasive and said they were at work.

Mr Kwame claimed that he would meet me and five other Singaporeans at the Kotoka International Airport in Accra, Ghana.

So why is the Ghana Embassy in Tokyo saying a three-year work permit and residence permit would cost only US$300?

Mr Kwame insisted the embassy got it wrong.

'No, that is only for three months. Listen, trust me,' he said.

When told that he was speaking to a reporter from The New Paper in Singapore, Mr Kwame said it was not a scam.

Said Mr Kwame: 'I am not going to take your money. I am just helping you.'

UNEMPLOYED PEOPLE

The New Paper contacted a lawyer specialising in employment law in Ghana.

Mr Kwame Agati, a partner at Kotomase Chambers, an established law firm in Ghana's capital city, Accra, said there were many unemployed people with relevant skills in agriculture in Ghana.

'The company doesn't have to go all the way to Asia to look for employees,' he said.

Mr Issaka Issifu, the counsellor from the counsular's Section of the Ghanaian Embassy in Tokyo, said they are conducting 'further enquiries' into the matter.

He said they 'would like to caution against any monetary transfers' without being sure of the purpose.