News: Govt Raises Fresh Recruitment Panel for Immigration

Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) - The Federal Executive Council (FEC) yesterday ordered an immediate cancellation of last Saturday's ill-fated Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) recruitment where scores of people died In the place of the cancelled exercise. President Goodluck Jonathan has constituted a presidential committee to conduct a fresh recruitment exercise into the Service.

The President directed that all those who were injured in the cause of the exercise across the country would be given automatic recruitment into the Service. He equally ordered that the families of those who lost their dear ones, three spaces would be provided for three young people one of whom must be a woman in the new recruitment exercise.

In a related development, former Lagos State Commissioner of Police Abubakar Tsav, Idoma Youths Progressive Movement (IYPM) and the Northern Youths Assembly of Nigeria (NYAN) have condemned the calls for the sack of the Interior Minister Abba Moro over last Saturday's recruitment tragedy. The new recruitment panel which is to be headed by the Chairman of the Federal Civil Service Commission (FCS) wtth the Comptroller General of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) also has the representatives of the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Commandant General of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC); Director-General of the State Security Service (SSS) and Corps Marshal and Chief Executive of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) as members.

Information Minister, Labaran Maku while briefing State House correspondents on the outcome of the meeting chaired by Jonathan, said the FEC noted with grief and deep regrets the tragic loss of young Nigerians who died in different centres across the country in the ill-fated exercise. According to him, "FEC, is sending condolences to the families of the deceased and also sending special wishes to those who are injured and still undergoing treatment in hospitals in parts of the country, expressed total regrets that this tragedy didn't take place at all. "Council members were full of grief when the issue was discussed at the FEC.

We expressed our condolences to the President and Vice President and we indeed reassure Nigerians that all of us, who have the privilege of serving this country at this time, are feeling the pains with the families of our young ones who lost their lives.
"We are parents and we know what this means to those who have had the opportunity to train their children and are waiting for the opportunity for these children to now take their place and help their families, only to lose them under this very difficult circumstances that took place on Saturday."

He noted that the Council reaffirmed the commitment of the administration to ensuring that this kind of tragedy does not repeat itself in this country. "Consequently, the President also took certain measures which he announced to the FEC.

Govt. Nullifies Immigration Recruitment

"The first is that the Immigration exercise has been completely cancelled and he has directed that a new exercise will be conducted by a special committee under the chairmanship of the Chairman, Civil Service Commission, to conduct the recruitment exercise to fill the vacancies of the Nigerian Immigration Service.

"This committee will proceed to conduct the exercise to fill the vacancies in the Nigerian Immigration Service. The President also directed that for the families of those who lost their dear ones, three spaces should be provided for three young people one of which must be a woman in the new recruitment exercise.

"Also, all those who were injured in the cause of the exercise across the country will be given automatic recruitment into the Service. The President has also directed that as soon as he returns from his trip abroad, he will meet with families the deceased to express his personal condolences to them over the sad tragedy that took place on Saturday.

"He instructed all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) not to embark on exercise of this nature in recruiting people into the public service because what happened could have been avoided. So, the President directed that no one outside the Armed Forces and the police who usually recruit people through such exercise is allowed to embark on this kind of exercise witnessed last Saturday.

"All of us expressed our regrets about what happened. Our hearts go out there to the families of the deceased. This nation is fully behind them, the grief is not their own, the grief is that of all Nigerians and is the grief of the government and the people of Nigeria. We regret it and we pray for the repose of the souls of those who have departed.

"Council noted that it is regrettable that this took place at a time that every effort was being made by government to increase spaces available for employment. For example, last year, we were able to get 1.6 million employed in the various sectors of the economy and the public service. However, this incident that took place is so painful and we will not want to see in this country young job seekers losing their lives in the process of seeking for job after school training. "We assure the nation today that every step will be taken to look into the various lapses in recruitment exercises into the public service to ensure that all those who are qualified get access to employment without going through this kind of experience."

Tsav exonerated the minister, saying he does not deserve to be blamed in the controversy surrounding the exercise. Tsav in a chat with The Guardian said the minister was not wrong in any way, pointing out that those calling for his sack should have a rethink in the interest of peace as he was not directly involved in the exercise. "The Minister of Interior has done nothing wrong. He is not directly involved in the recruitment, so why should he be sanctioned? As far as I am concerned, he is not culpable", Tsav maintained.

The IYPM and NYAN in a joint statement signed by its President, Igoche Matthew and Speaker, Obande Gideon, respectively, blamed the NIS for the deaths and not Moro. They, however, condoled with the affected families and further called on the Federal Government to quickly arrange a palliative for them.

Source: Guardian