Abba Moro and David Parradang should go

On March 15, 15 hope-seeking Nigerian youths lost their lives due to stampedes and exhaustion during a recruitment exercise organised by the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS). This avoidable and depressing tragedy not only confirms the serious threat of poverty and joblessness in the country, but reflects the little thought and empathy that goes into government’s operations and programmes.

Nigeria’s youth population is 64 million, according to a 2012 survey by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS); 81 percent of these are aged 18 to 35, the age group required by the NIS. In addition, data from the NBS shows that 61 percent of Nigerians were living on less than a dollar a day in 2010, up from 52 percent in 2004.

While it is noteworthy that a combination of poverty and joblessness is fuelling desperation in the country, but it is only a heart without a conscience will seek to exploit this poverty driven desperation. According to reports, 6 million people paid N1, 000 each of which 522,650 were shortlisted for 4,556 vacancies.

It’s like the whole of Sierra Leone applied before it was reduced to the size of Cape Verde for jobs openings a little more than the population of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, the Africa country with the smallest population.

Firstly, we question the fees collected by either the NIS or its consultant Drexel Tech Global. The N522m collected from applicants pales when compared to the N39.6bn (95 percent of its total budget of N41.9bn) NIS received for recurrent expenditures in the 2013 budget.

From all indications the recruitment drive was motivated to extort not employ. The NIS charged with issuing passports and securing our borders saw an opportunity to scam Nigeria’s teeming population of 18 to 35 year olds which, as at 2012, was larger than South Africa’s population of 52 million.

Secondly, the excuses of Abba Moro, the minister for Interior, and David Parradang, comptroller general of NIS are un-acceptable. Despite the millions of naira collected, the handling of the entire recruitment process was reckless, smacked of disregard for people and crass opportunism. Trying to achieve a feat of interviewing half a million people in one day, in the name of ‘transparency’, is reckless. How many other ministries, departments agencies are engaged in this scam of advance fee fraud for false hope?

Thirdly, the initial reaction of Abba Moro, the minister for Interior that the 15 or more that died was due to impatience, disorder, disobedience shows how Nigeria’s vast wealth in people is treated with callousness. Furthermore, it is a characteristic display that Abba Moro, Nigeria’s minister of interior appears to lack the empathetic disposition of a leader. The condolence message of Abba Moro, after meeting with President Jonathan, was clearly an after-thought. It was belated and insincere. How could the NIS expect to process such a large number of people without adequate preparation? Why didn’t the NIS further whittle down the number of applicants?

Fourthly, we call on all Nigerians to wake up. This is a horror story that began long time ago. The number applicants and the disrespect to their dignity show the recklessness of public sector governance in Nigeria. It is a pity that no protests will have occurred had nobody died.

We recall that a similar stampede occurred in 2008 during a recruitment exercise by NIS and the Nigeria Prison Service (NPS). Have many other departments and agencies of government are concocting similar schemes to fleece unemployed Nigerians? How many more lives, dreams and aspirations of Nigeria’s productive generation have to be snuffed out, brushed aside, and trampled upon?

Finally, we call for the immediate resignation or sack of Moro and Parradang for their outrageous mediocrity, gross incompetence, and ill-preparedness for public service. We also demand that families of the deceased be compensated and that a thorough investigation into the tragedy, as well as the practice of charging fees for recruitment by public sector establishments be done without delay.

On this matter, a smack on the wrists will definitely not do. An example must be given, a standard set, a messaged sent: crimes against people’s dignity, their socio-economic wellbeing, should not be trivialised.