Jonathan Cancels Immigration Test, offers job to injured, families of Deceased

The Federal Government yesterday cancelled the recruitment test of the Nigerian Immigration Services held across the country last Saturday in which more than 18 persons died and many others injured.

President Goodluck Jonathan devoted the entire session of the Wednesday weekly Cabinet meeting to console the families’ job seekers who died as a result of stampede during the nationwide recruitmentexercise conducted by the Nigeria Immigration service (NIS).

Consequently, the President has directed the cancellation of the recruitment exercise and ordered that fresh one be conducted in a civilized manner.

However, the Ministry of interior where the embattled Abba Moro, presides will not supervise the exercise.

The President has set up a special committee headed by the Chairman of the Federal Civil ServiceCommission to conduct a fresh recruitment for the NIS.

Also, as a form of compensation to the families of the deceased, each of the family will present three young people, one of which must be a woman for automatic employment in the next exercise.

In the same vein, all those who were injured last Saturday have been offered automatic job by the President.

The Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, who briefed State House correspondents after the Cabinet meeting spoke further, “The Federal Executive Council meeting today devoted its entire proceedings to condolences, to the families of young Nigerians that lost their lives in last Saturday’s tragic Nigeria Immigration Recruitment exercise.

“The President also took certain measures which he announced to Federal Executive Council.

“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.

“Other members of the committee as announced by the President are the Comptroller General of Nigerian Immigration Service, representatives of the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Comptroller General of  Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Comptroller General of ‎Prisons Service, Director General State Security Service (SSS) and the Corp Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC).

“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 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 Information Minister spoke further on the proceedings at the Council, “The FEC noted with grief and deep regrets the tragic loss of young Nigerians who died in different centers across the country in the ill-fated Nigerian Immigration Recruitment Exercise.

“The FEC in sending condolences to the families of the deceased and also in 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 took 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 reassured 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.

“We reaffirm our commitment to ensuring that this kind of tragedy does not repeat itself in this country.

“The President has also directed that as soon as he returns from his trip abroad he will meet the families of the deceased to express his personal condolences to them over the sad tragedy that took place on Saturday.

“He instructed all MDAs never to embark on exercise of this nature in recruiting people into the public service because what happened could have been avoided. So Mr. President directed that no one outside the armed forces and the police who usually ‎recruit people through exercise that no other MDA is allowed to embark on this kind of exercise that we witnessed on Saturday.

“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