According to reports from Vanguard,President Jonathan, yesterday, directed that three job slots each be reserved for families of those who lost their lives during the Nigeria Immigration recruitment exercise.
This is even as the Board of the Immigration Service, National Security and Civil Defence, Prisons and Fire Service Board, yesterday, indicted the Minister of Interior, Comrade Abba Moro, over the incident, saying the Board was sidelined.
Also, the National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, disclosed yesterday that it had commenced investigation into the tragedy even as the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions, NASU, joined others in calling for the sack of the minister and the Comptroller-General of Immigration, Mr David Parradang.
President Jonathan has directed the immediate cancellation of the recruitment exercise. Instead, a special committee headed by the Chairman of the Civil Service Commission, Mrs Joan Ayo, will conduct the employment test to fill existing vacancies in the Nigeria Immigration Service.
The presidential directive was given at yesterday’s Federal Executive Council meeting where the President further directed that those who lost their loved ones would have automatic slots for three applicants, one of whom must be a woman.
He also warned that henceforth, ministers and heads of government agencies where any death is recorded in the course of recruitment exercise would be tried for culpable homicide.
Minister of Information, Mr Labaran Maku, who addressed State House correspondents after yesterday’s FEC meeting said the President further directed that only the armed forces and the police are allowed mass recruitment exercises.
According to Maku, President Jonathan promised to personally pay condolence visits to the families of those who lost their loved ones while those who sustained injuries during the botched exercise were also to be given automatic employment.
Maku stated: “The President also took certain measures which he announced to Federal Executive Council. The first is that the Immigration recruitment 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.
The minister said members of the Federal Executive Council “noted with grief and deep regrets, the tragic loss of young Nigerians who died in different centres 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 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” he said. .
A member of the Immigration Board, Mr S. D. Tapgun, who led the Board members and Heads of other agencies under the Board to appear before the Public Accounts Committee of the House of Representatives said there was no Board approval for the failed exercise.
According to him,”only the Interior Minister and the consultant he engaged for the exercise can tell Nigerians exactly what happened.
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