by ‘Jola Sotubo
Following the improperly conducted Nigeria Immigration Service recruitment exercise which resulted in the deaths of job seekers nationwide, the Minister of Interior, Abba Moro, has issued a full and unreserved apology.
Mr. Moro has taken full responsibility for the tragic incident, which claimed 16 lives, and he has also pleaded with Nigerians to forgive him.
The minister, who had been trading blame since the incident, is said to have made his new stance clear at a media briefing over the weekend.
Vanguard reports:
Moro said:
“I think that I will ordinarily ask Nigerians for understanding in this matter, understanding the intention, understanding the motive behind the whole thing of an open, transparent recruitment exercise.
“That is the first of its kind into the services of Interior Ministry that was intended primarily to give employment to Nigerians, irrespective of their backgrounds, connections, contacts in government or the business circle,” he said.
Moro said the exercise was intended to correct all the ills of the past and give everybody an open opportunity to get employment.
He added: “For me, it is a personal loss because the exercise, in the first place, took place within the Ministry of Interior, organised by the Ministry and its services and so whatever consequences, positive or negative, that have come and in this instance, negative, I, as the Minister of that Ministry, under whose purview this exercise took place, where people lost their lives, certainly take full responsibility.
“I want to say repeatedly that the death of these young Nigerians who would have added value to human resource asset of this nation is highly regrettable. And for the families, I insist that my heart goes out to them because I am a father too.”
Moro insisted that he did not have any disagreement with either the board or the Immigration Services’ official over the recruitment.
