16 Confirmed Dead in Nigerian Immigration Employment Exercise!

This is really a sad moment for family members of the dead applicants in the Nigerian Immigration Employment Exercise held over the weekend throughout the nation no forgetting those injured.

According to Mr Abba Moro, the Minister of Interior who confirmed the the number and other related statistics during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja.

The Minister said that in Edo state one female applicant collapsed at the venue of the exercise and was rushed to the hospital where she died.

He said that in Jigawa state a male applicant died in an accident on his way to the venue of the exercise while in Niger two persons died as a result of the stampede.

He said that seven applicants in the FCT died also from the stampede while in Rivers five persons died.

Some applicants sustained injuries during the exercise with some have being treated and discharged while others are currently receiving treatment in various hospitals across the country.

Earlier suggestions by the Minister as to the cause of the stampedes and subsequent death was due to impatience on the side of the applicants. While i agree partially with the Minister's reason for the incident, i think Nigeria Immigration Service knew all along based on the numbers of applicants that the crowd would be much and bearing in mind the "Nigeria Factor" and provide adequate crowd control.

Secondly, i read from PREMIUMTIMES, that Nigeria Immigration Service made N520 million from the applicants. huh? Hon. Minister, you should expect the applicants to be impatient when they have paid money to get a job! I have been in the diaspora for years and never seen a vacancy or job that applicants are required to pay money in order to get, instead we are advised not to pay money to anybody acting on their behalf (third party).

I have few questions for the Minister and Nigerian Immigration Service: What happens to qualified people who don't have the "vacancy application fees"? 

Where will an unemployed youth get money to pay for a job that he/she is not sure of securing?

Are you exploiting on the unemployed youth in Nigeria by levying them?

Dear reader, what do you guys think?