THE NIGERIAN IMMIGRATION SERVICE (NIS) MIGHT EMPLOY 25,000 NEW PERSONNEL IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS IF THE COMMENT OF THE COMPTROLLER-GENERAL OF THE NIS, MARTINS ABESHI IS ANYTHING TO GO BY.

According to Abeshi, the NIS requires about 5,000 personnel annually for the next five years to meet its manpower capacity. The NIS boss stated this today, November 26, in Abuja when the Minister of Interior, Abdulrahman Dambazau, visited his office as part of his familiarisation tour of parastatals under his ministry, the News Agency of Nigeria reports.

Abeshi promised the new minister that he will ensure professionalism in the NIS in line with international best practices and President Muhammadu Buhari’s Change Agenda.

He disclosed that the Nigeria Immigration Service generated N19. 4 billion between January and October 2015, stating that N9, 788, 969,705 was generated from passports/operations, while N9, 676, 474, 587 was generated from the Combined Expatriate Residence Permit and Alien’s Card (CERPAC) within the period.

He also informed the minister that the CERPAC production centres had been increased to cover all states of the federation and the Onne Free Trade Zone in Rivers.

He however noted that in spite of the revenue generated, the service was facing a lot of challenges which included poor funding, needed for capital projects. He said: “Over the years, the NIS has been contending with poor funding, especially for capital projects for construction of border control plazas/automation of control posts. Lack of modern communication equipment and security gadgets such as sensors and alarm systems and surveillance cameras to cover the flanks through which irregular migration occurs, is also a major challenge.’’

Speaking earlier, the minister had stated that the familiarisation tour was part of efforts by the federal government to reposition the NIS and other parastatals under the ministry. He described the NIS as very strategic to internal security and encouraged officers and men to be more professional and diligent in the discharge of their duty.

Dambazau opined that adequate border security is required to check the proliferation of small arms and light weapons and the prevention of people with ulterior motives entering Nigeria.

Source: https://www.naij.com/649575-nigeria-immigration-needs-25000-new-personnel-nis-boss.html

Protest Succesful...

Matter to be handled, hopefully by

Honourable Femi Gbajabiamila (House Majority Leader) and
Honourable Leo Ogor (House Minority Leader) and
Honourable Aminu Shehu Shagari (Member)
House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee on 2014 NIS Recruitment Stampede,
Federal House of Representative, NASS Complex,
Abuja.

Part of the content of the petition (reframed)!

Sir, we urge you and other honourable members in the house to please investigate this matter with all the verve it deserves, with a bid to getting to its root and consequently order the Ministry of Interior, the Civil Defence, Fire, Immigration and Prisons Board and the Nigeria Immigration Service to immediately .............................……. ……....................................... ……......................... …….......................... ……

Thanks.


NASS to investigate the matter and communicate the concerned appointees within 2 weeks.

…….. …...At last, justice may just be on the way for our brothers and sisters! GOD-WIN!

FROM THE NATIONAL MIRROR NEWSPAPER
(http://nationalmirroronline.net/new/nis-recruitment-reps-carpet-bagaji/):

NIS RECRUITMENT: REPS CARPET BAGAJI

…order deployment of employees

House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee on the Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS recruitment stampede yesterday, knocked the permanent secretary of the ministry of interior, Abubakar Bagaji, for saying that the employment letters wielded by next of kins of those who died in the nis stampede in 2014, were ceremonial letters.

The Committee went further to recommend that those involved be deployed with immediate effect by the NIS, having lawfully secured their employment into the service. The hearing by the committee followed a protest and petition to the National Assembly by the affected persons, which led to the setting up of the ad-hoc committee by the House to probe the matter with a view to letting it to rest.

Minority Leader, Leo Ogor, had informed the team from Ministry of Interior led by the Permanent Secreatary that the petitioners, who were young Nigerians that lost their loved ones in that failed exercise, were duly issued employment letters, but were disregarded by the ministry. The committee chairman and house leader, Femi Gbajabiamila, had expressed deep annoyance at the flagrant disrespect and disobedience to the order by president of the federal republic, who directed that at least three persons each, including a female, from the families of those who lost their lives, as well as all those injured during the exercise be given immediate and automatic employment into the NIS.

However, the Permanent Secretary, PS, who said that he directed the issuance of the employment letters, said he could not implement it because he was suspecting the legality of the Presidential Committee that directed their employment. Consequently, the Committee, which informed him that the President’s directives in the terms of reference given to the presidential committee that was headed by chairman, civil service commission, were very unambiguous and should be obeyed to the letter. The interior permanent secretary was therefore advised to go ahead and ensure that all those duly employed by the nis and the board of fire service, civil defence, prisons and immigration, are called and deployed, as well as every other beneficiary in this category.

Following the embarrassment from that failed recruitment, former President Goodluck Jonathan had directed that these categories of applicants be compensated with that employment to cushion the effect of the stampede on their families, but this was sabotaged along the way leading to series of protests.




MY TAKE

I am not really sure if those appointed by the presidential committee in May, 2015 are included in this order that was given to the CDFIPB/Ministry of Interior. Though the content is clear and is suggestive that they were also captured by this directive. However, let us assume they are not included, I believe many of our youths affected by this NIS appointment are a bit passive and not ready to take their own destinies into their hands. When I confronted a group of them way back in September 2015, to form a team that will engage in a peaceful but massive protest to the National Assembly over this matter, they told me they are waiting for a substantive minister to be appointed and that is the reason why they have not protested this impunity. Now, I just hope they will and have learnt from the victims of the tragedy, who have gone to the National Assembly to forcefully obtain their rights as reported by almost all news dailies yesterday 13th October, 2015.

LESSONS LEARNT

Did the recruitment tragedy victims waited for a minister? The answer is no.

What did they do? They took a bold step and reached out to those who have the powers to solve their problems.

Were they castigated? The answer is no.

What did they get? They got their appointment through a point blank directive to those self-seeking and greedy interior ministry.

Is the ministry ready to recall those appointed? The answer is, their responses and body languages do not suggest so. The news dailies that captured insinuations that seems to suggest everyone that has to do with the recruitment will the included in the order given by the House of Representative, led by Hon Femi Gbajabiamila, are The Natioanl Mirror and The Sun Newspapers whose content is already pasted here. Reports from the other dailies suggest only the victims were being directly referred to and will be absorbed. In fact, the house had to force those old chumps in that board/ministry them to compensate the protesters.

WAY FORWARD FOR THOSE APPOINTED

The more the delay in staging a peaceful protest at the National Assembly, the more the matter keeps dragging. One thing I found funny during the heated exchange between the house and the CDFIPB/Ministry of Interior was that:

1. The house was not even aware that those clowns at the CDFIPB/Ministry of Interior have not even carried out the order of the President concerning the victim.

2. Those teacups of a CDFIPB/Ministry of Interior had the guts to say a presidential pronouncement had no substantive authority to back it up and

3. That they only heard the directive on television and radio etc. and therefore, were not informed and hence, will cannot carry out the presidential order.

ADVICE TO THE AFFECTED APPOINTEES

My advice to those youths affected out there is that, once you wait for about a week from the date of this directive (for clarity, the directive was given on the 13th October, 2015) or at most, the end of this month (October) and you all are not recalled; then it is time you all called yourselves together and took a protest to the National Assembly (I will be ready to follow in the lead if I am contacted). Who knows our representatives may not be aware of this blatant disregard and impunity against your lawfully given job as they opined on Tuesday 13th October, 2015. And even if they are aware, there is still the need for a protest to make the world know what the Nigerian government is doing to you all so that the necessary authority can take action as we have all seen in the case of the affected victims of the recruitment tragedy (This option will only be viable if you are not recalled).




SEE THE VERSION FROM SUN NEWS ONLINE
(http://sunnewsonline.com/new/immigration-stampede-why-we-shunned-jonathans-directive-nis/)

Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Interior, Abubakar Magaji yesterday revealed why a directive from former president, Goodluck Jonathan on employment of 176 persons selected by the Special Presidential Committee on the Immigration Recruitment was ignored.

Magaji described the presentation of employment letters by Jonathan as symbolic just as he stressed that he approved the issuance of the letters of employment by the board even without meeting laid down procedures in order not to embarrass the president.

Magaji made the disclosure when he appeared before the House of Representatives ad-hoc Committee on Victims of Nigeria Immigration Service stampede.

The permanent secretary accused the presidential committee of not involving the Interior ministry as well as unilaterally directing the CFIPSB to issue employment letters. He also stated that the ministry did not have funds to pay the wages of 176 beneficiaries and another 2,000 applicants employed earlier in the year by the NIS as funding for their salaries was not included in the ministry’s 2014 budget.

Obviously dissatisfied by the explanation from the permanent secretary, members of the committee took turns to condemn the failure of the ministry, the NIS and the CFIPSB to have fully settled beneficiaries.

Last Thursday, the House of Representatives set up a three-man committee comprising Majority Leader, Femi Gbajabiamila, Minority Leader, Leo Ogor and Aminu Shagari (Sokoto APC) following protests by families of the victims at the National Assembly.

The protesters had said the pledge by President Jonathan to employ three persons from the families of the deceased, and to give automatic employment to those who were injured was yet to be fulfilled.

IT IS TIME TO SPEAKOUT WITH UNANIMOUS VOICES.

There is perhaps no better time or day other than this beautiful democracy day in our country to make comments on many observations I have noticed on this thread since its creation few months ago. The choice of today is not deliberate; it is just a matter of coincidence but I am also glad I have the opportunity of passing this message across on a day like this, given the significance we all attach to this day in our history.
To start with, I commend the spirit of everyone who has posted on this thread ever since, making it interesting to visit almost every day. Apart from the few times of silence the thread encountered, it has actually served a useful medium of relevant information for all the details of the Immigration Service recruitment for several numbers of uncountable times. To be frank, this thread represented a mini picture of what goes on in the larger Nigerian society and, interestingly, I admired almost all the comments. In fact, there was everything you could imagine and think about without discontent.

Yes, there were abuses and counter abuses; allegations and counter allegations; rumors and counter rumors; advices and counter advices; warnings and counter warnings and a whole lots of forecasts, predictions, speculations and confidents boastings of numerous sorts. All these arguments, exchanges, dialogues, talks, conversations etc. to me were just what gave light and essence to the controversial subject of interest under scrutiny. Right from page zero to the current page, I just could not help laughing about all that have been posted; from the pains and agonies of some to the joys and ecstasies of others etc. I have seen all and certainly do have my observations.

My observations stems from the copious evidences from many of the posts herein and this shows that, there was a great deal of intolerance, misunderstanding and the unwillingness of many to accept that opinions can never be the same on a particular concern. No one is an island of knowledge, hence wherever one’s awareness ends, those of others begin. To those who feel the appointed persons from the recruitment should be recalled, they have their points and those who feel otherwise also have their points. Given the discrepancies in thoughts and opinions of this nature, it therefore becomes a herculean task to put everybody on the same page of agreement. If such task can however be achieved, it won’t come by the wanton attacks and counter attacks that have been witnessed herein all along. The only way to make this happen is to give clear details as to the reason why everyone must be on the same page; a thing which I seek to achieve with this enormous piece.

First and foremost, let me remind all of us that about 1.2million applicants initiated applications when the presidential committee advertised vacancies into various cadres of the NIS. However, only about 677,810 prospective candidates concluded their applications as presented from the summary statistics of the presidential committee. For some of us who are conversant with probability techniques (apologies if you dislike mathematics), let’s go a bit technical here.

1. The probability that anyone would be recruited at that time into the service equals 1/677,810 = 0.0000014753

2. Recall the values of probability lies between 0 and 1. That is 0 ≤ P ≤ 1.

3. The decision rule for probability values is that If P assumes the value of 0, it implies the event will not occur and if P assumes the value of 1, then it is certain that the event will occur. Thus the nearer the probability values to 0, the lesser the chance of occurrence and vice versa.

From the above analysis, it becomes crystal clear to all of us that everyone’s chance of being selected at the initial stage was virtually none existent because the probability value of 0.0000014753 is approximately 0. However, after the aptitude test was conducted, the chances selection of the remaining candidates improved significantly because of the reduced number of applicants (i.e. the denominator). Now you may want to query the aptitude test results here that how were those who passed the test determined since the results of the test was not released. Well, I actually went on a fact finding mission to unravel this and I was told that only those candidates who scored above a certain benchmark in the test were forwarded to the committee by the testing body.

I queried further that I have listened to so many complaints, especially from graduates who were certain that they choose the right answers in the tests and were confident about their choice, only to find out that their names did not make the list. The response was that, with multiple choice questions, you can never be too certain about your ingenuity. Where you may think you have chosen the right answers, you may be surprised the computer will mark you down, since it’s been pre-programmed to add and deduct according to your selections. So you can see, you may never know where you went wrong.

Let me give you a quick example as regards the above assertion here. One of my neighbors who went for the just concluded NBC aptitude test in Ikeja came home and told me he came across a question in the test which asked about the tallest building in the world and that he choose The Empire State building, New York, USA and was so confident it was the right answer until we Google it only to find out it was some other building in the UAE. Thus to those who were so assured of what they did during the test, you can never tell where it went wrong. Similarly, I have heard some boast of having masters’ degrees; second class upper yet they know of someone with a lower or pass and such was considered above them. Wow! I laugh. Such persons are quick to forget that objective questions are quite tricky. While you may be very good at your academics in school, this does not guarantee you a high mark in multiple choice questions (especially when it is not your day or your area of study or you may be so unlucky that the computer will just be throwing those questions you aren’t really familiar or certain about). In fact, you may sit with a secondary school leaver in an objective test and the latter may come out with higher scores. This does not mean he is more intelligent than you or smarter than you; in fact, in many cases, such a high score could just be a product of guessed options but right answers, while the confident person who is taking his time and thinking before making his choices, is unfortunately, selecting the wrong answers for that matter.

The selection at the state commands during the oral interview and document verification could have been subjective because human factor was already creeping in at this stage. However, judging by the responses from many participants who got the appointment that they do not know anyone before they were shortlisted, you will agree with me that prejudiced choices were minimal, if at all it happened. Reasons are that, many of those people whose names were forwarded by the computer to have passed the test actually never knew nobody at their various states of origin command where the verification was conducted. The reason for this is very simple; a computer does not know who you are. It does not recognize whether you are the Comptroller General’s child or the Interior Minister’s brother. Once you do not meet the cut, it drops you. In essence, since those who went for the verification and interview were unknown bunch of entities, those saddled with the responsibility of selection were compelled to pick according to the performances of the candidates they interviewed.

I also read a particular piece from someone who said he had a master’s degree and was not given the nod. Well, you see, it wasn’t only academic qualifications that were considered. You may have a Ph.D but with a flat foot, broken tooth, tattoo or drawings on your body, not meet the required height and chest measurement, poor health report and unclear speech. Remember that was the first time contacts was established between candidates and NIS officials and since they know what they are looking for, which may be totally different from what you filled into your application, then it becomes very difficult to determine your suitability for the job. You will recall that certain requirements were stated by the presidential committee for candidates to meet if they must be considered for appointments into the service. Let me paint a little scenario for us here. Let us assume there are two individuals: a Nasir el-Rufai, who came out with a first class from his university and a Buhari, who managed to escape with a third class from his Alma Mata. Both were interviewed for a job. The job is para-military in nature and at the end of the day; Mr. Buhari was selected for appointment into the para-military service, while Mr. El-Rufai was sent a regret letter. What do you think could have worked for Mr. Buhari? (I assume everyone on this thread is familiar with these two notable political individuals in our country and have seen the duo together before? If you have not seen them together before, please try to take note of both men on television whenever the opportunity presents itself and this may give you a clue or even an outright answer to the question posed here).

Similarly, the problem of federal/state character even within the state also comes in. Definitely, you do not expect them to pick the few people they need within your state from just your own local government. About 45 persons or thereabout were selected per state at the end of the recruitment process by the presidential committee and going by the fact that we have about 20 and above or less local governments within a state; this implies that just about 2 -3 persons per local government within each state can be selected; so how were you so sure you were the best even within your local government, knowing fully well that all the local government must be fully represented in the state, since it is a federal job and all the entities making up the whole must reflect the characteristics of the bits and pieces of all. And do you know one funny but stupid thing about this federal character nonsense is that, your performance within your local government in relation to those of other candidates in other local governments within your state may be better than those of the best candidates of those other local governments, but because you are unlucky to be grouped in a local government having very bright and genius candidates, who had extremely good performances in your own local government, you are dropped and they (i.e. poor candidates of other local governments) whom you are better off and far out perform during the exercise, are picked. If you then happen to be friends with those candidates from other local governments, and you find out that they were picked and you were dropped, the next thing is you cry foul and continue to discredit the process as being biased and with arbitrary selection rule without knowing the facts. You may even be tempted to accuse other candidates of going through the back door to secure their appointments.

Given all the above however and knowing this country for what it is as regards the problem of corruption, nepotism, rent seeking and pre-bendal politics, which has eaten deep into the fabrics of those saddled with the responsibilities of appointing individuals into federal MDAs, I do understand the numerous reservations and skepticism that many of us have associated with the recent appointments of 2000 Nigerian youths into the NIS. However, you will be surprised to hear that the reason why the NIS board and ministry of interior are so unhappy with the recruitment exercise is because the presidential committee never succumbed to the lobbying and request for slots from these heavily corrupted institutions. The presidential committee insisted everyone must write the test and pass before nominations can be made and since this approach did not favor the NIS board and ministry of interior as they knew their preferred candidates may not scale through the test, and they knew Jonathan was leaving the presidency soonest, they decided to discredit the process. This tells you the selection process was credible and devoid of pre-bendal politics. Let me ask you a question here; what do you think would have happened if the polls had favoured Jonathan? Do you think this deceptive NIS board/Ministry of interior would have raised any excuse about the recruitment process as they are doing now?

Now my problem with this recruitment is not based on whether the recruitment was political or not? Or whether it followed due process or not? My problem is that, the plight, pains, sorrows and troubles of our innocent youths were being used to determine superiority amongst two unserious and shameful entities: the presidential committee as constituted by Jonathan and the NIS board/Ministry of interior. My concern is not about those who were lucky to get the appointments or those who lost out; my concern lies with the state of despondency in which this type of leadership impunity is causing our youths (Recall innocent Patricia). It baffles me to notice that many of us are not considering this matter from that dimension and I just hope and pray that all of us in this forum will see the larger picture of assault, rape and uncanny insensitivity against the innocence of the youths of this country. After robbing us of our money and killing us in a sham recruitment exercise in 2014, the Nigerian government is still mocking 2000 of our youths (2000 youths for God’s sake!) with appointments made into the NIS by a presidential committee in May, 2015 with suspension and cruelty. I hope and I just hope many of us in this forum will see the larger picture of greed and self-aggrandizement in this impunity by the Buhari presidency and the hypocrite NIS board/Ministry of interior.

How can a charlatan NIS board/Ministry of interior say to 2000 able bodied youths at this point in time that the recruitment was illegal when their appointments have already being made and the youths made to pass through a hell of an induction experience. How can you tell them there was no finance to pay them in a country where billions of dollars are fleeced abroad on daily basis? How can you tell them the presidential committee was not righty constituted at this point in time? Who was in the better position to advice president Jonathan during his moment of madness when he wanted to constitute a presidential committee to assist the immigration on a recruitment the whole nation knows is determined by allocated slots to the president’s mother, his wife, the NIS board/Ministry of interior and politicians? Did the youths of this country beg for the exercise to be conducted by their actions/inactions? Why doesn’t the hypocritical NIS board/Ministry of interior just allocate the slots to themselves as usual and save our youths these agonies? At least many of these youths will only hear appointments have been made and some people sent on course in a weird manner as usual and those not appointed will only grumble underneath and that would just be the cost of not having the job to them.

Why? Why? Why? Why is it that we the youths are not seeing this rape and impunity from this point of view but from the point of personal benefits, thus if it does not benefit me then I will mock others who benefitted when they are being slapped, disrobed and maltreated with sheer impunity for something that is no fault of theirs? For an injustice they did not invite with any of their actions and we, as other youths are sitting down looking without saying anything or even volunteering to protest on their behalf till PMB, the fraudulent NIS board/Ministry of interior and other powers that be will hear us and do the right thing. Permit me to quote HRM Haile Selassie 1, the Emperor of Ethiopia here. He said, ‘throughout history, it has been the inaction of those who could have acted; the indifference of those who should have known better and the silence of the voice of justice when it mattered, that has made it possible for evil to triumph.

As youths within this forum, please let us eschew all the mockery of the misfortune of our fellow youths ((2000 of them for God’s sake!) and see beyond the fact that you were not appointed, for a larger picture of sheer impunity against these youths of this country. The truth is that the NIS cannot absorb everyone, hence some people must be picked and some dropped. This however does not mean you do not have the right mix of academic qualification or that you may not be qualified in some other ways, or that those appointed were more qualified than you; it only means that certain conditions, which may be implied or even subjective, led to your disqualification. Even in this fact still, it does not mean you are no more; the experience only serves to strengthen you and make you stronger to forge ahead with life and continue to wish yourself luck. Not being appointed does not make you less than what God made you to be and as far as God is concerned, you are good in his sight and he loves you dearly.

Take my case for example, many of you will not believe that I have gone through a good number of federal MDAs recruitment exercise in this country, yet as I speak, I have not been considered for any. However, even in the face of these defeats, I still usually summon the courage to put calls through to many new friends I meet at these recruitment centers and who, in one way or the other, are lucky to be appointed and extend my congratulation to them and then forge ahead with life. I have since realized it doesn’t make me less than who I am and it doesn’t even take my qualifications away. In fact, for the 2014 Abba Moro Youth-Killing NIS recruitment exercise, I was part of the multitude that paid one thousand naira to those fools and when it turned out gory, I intentionally refused to partake in the 2015 exercise when I saw the advert. And with this impunity that I am seeing now; that I was not part of the exercise is not enough to stop or deter me from mobilizing support for these victims to reclaim their right and call our government to order. Thus, I call on fellow youths of this country to please join hands together and buzz these selfish leaders with this unpalatable story of our brothers and sisters wherever they may be and demand the reinstallation of these 2000 appointed youths as announced by the presidential committee in May, 2015. As far as you participated in the exercise when it started, the same fate could have befallen you. Remember that everyone’s probability of selection at the start was equal. Remember also that, an injustice to one is an injustice to all, therefor speak out for your fellow youths who are presently being treated with sheer impunity.

To conclude this piece, let me leave you to ponder with the words of Friedrich Martin Niemoller, whose words are quoted thus: “When the Nazis came for the Communist, I remained silent; I was not a Communist. When they locked up the Social Democrats, I remained silent; I was not a Social Democrat. When they came for the Trade Unionists, I did not speak out; I was not a Trade Unionist. When they came for the Jews, I did not speak out; I was not a Jew. When they came for the Protestants, I was a Protestant, therefore they came for me and there was no one to speak out.

Happy Independence Anniversary.

PRESIDENT BUHARI SHOULD SHOW LEADERSHIP BY STOPPING THE AGONIES OF OUR YOUTHS.

***The Untold Tales of Crying Nigerian Youths.

Quality Leadership plays a significant role in enhancing the welfare of the people. It acts as a catalyst which accelerates the pace of the structural transformation of an economy and enables a country to fully utilize the ability of its human resource endowment and prevent the less privileged from being exploited by any privileged group within the system. Thus leadership is a deliberate and sustained application and combination of the appropriate knowledge and managerial expertise and other important resources to cater for the considerable interest of the people. While President Buhari has displayed the characteristics of quality leadership since assuming office on May 29, 2015 in some areas; he has failed woefully or simply lacking such traits in others, making him look inhumane and unconcerned about the welfare of the people, especially the youths; leaving them (i.e youths) in the hands of some wicked set of Nigerians who are hell bent on frustrating the essence of merit in the system. Government, they say, is a continuum; meaning whatever any past government does will be followed up and concluded by a new government without any rancour or resentment. However, evidence emanating from the government of PMB in recent times concerning our youths (2,000 of them), who were recently recruited by a presidential committee in May, 2015 into the Nigeria Immigration Service, is proving this assertion wrong.

How can President Buhari, who has vowed to do everything within his capacity to reduce youths unemployment, stay aloof and continue to watch these same youths, in particular, those ones who were recently appointed by a presidential committee into the Nigeria Immigration Service, being treated with deliberate insolence, cruelty and suspension by a selfish Immigration Board and the Ministry of Interior without intervention? My heart bleeds to see many of these youth, who trusted PMB with their votes continue to suffer an injustice not invited by any will of theirs. Was it by any of their actions that made the government of Nigeria to advertise vacancies in the Nigerian Immigration Service? Thus when has it become an offence for unemployed youths in Nigeria to apply for vacancies advertised by the government of their country? When has it become an offence for unemployed youths in Nigeria to aspire to serve in the nation in any ministry, department or agency in any capacity?

The story below of a young female Nigerian who was caught in all the brouhaha of the NIS recruitment moved me to tears and I keep wondering, do we really have leaders with human hearts? After completing her NYSC in Lagos in 2010, Patricia (pseudonym) searched for the length and width of Lagos for employment but could not find any. She was becoming upset and irritated before her mother’s friend, whom she had met during her service year and squatted with all along, informed her of a vacant post of a geography teacher in a private school in the neighbourhood and encouraged her to apply. She did as advised and was lucky to be the chosen one amongst the twenty-five other persons who went for the interview. Her monthly pay according to the given appointment letter was Twenty-two Thousand Naira (N22, 000.00K) per month. For someone who is getting to the point of grief and misery, she accepted the offer and forged ahead with life. Consequently, from the little amount she was able to save within the first year of her employment, she got a one room apartment within the suburb and was doing close to fine.

Since no one would be comfortable with just an income to feed and pay rent alone, she was putting up applications to places where vacancies were being advertised, while she managed what she had at hand but all her attempts were not successful. In 2014, when adverts were placed for recruitments into the Nigeria Immigration Service by the Nigerian government; with her one thousand naira service charges, she applied. Well, we all know the story of the tragedy that trailed that Abba Moro-Youth-killing recruitment exercise. Escaping death with just minor scratches at the stampede that ensued at the examination centre, she came back home and continued her life just like many other youths around. Every other thing she needed to know about the recruitment was heard in the news.

Time was gradually healing her 2014 sorrowful ordeal before the Nigerian government came up again with the idea of a presidential committee to assist the Nigeria Immigration Department in the recruitment into the Service in February, 2015. Not deterred and seeking a better job that will add at least little to her income, she followed up the adverts with an application. Shortly afterwards, she got an e-mail to proceed for an aptitude test in Zaria as that was where the centre for those of her geopolitical zone fell. She travelled all the way from Lagos to participate in the test. Shortly afterwards, she received another e-mail that she passed the test, hence was told to proceed to her state of origin in Plateau State to partake in a physical examination, document verification and oral interview, which she complied with from her base in Lagos again. At the end, she was notified of her success in the exercise and was told to proceed to the Nigeria Immigration Training School, Kano (ITSK) to collect her appointment letter and undergo documentation into the Immigration Service. She travelled all the way to Kano again from Lagos for the exercise. It was really a tough time in her life because while the exercise lasted, her employers in the private school where she teaches were beginning to frown at her incessant travels and her many requests for casual leaves. She received several queries for overstaying her leaves and even forfeited countless amounts representing the number of days she was away/absent from duty.

The spirit of things working out well for her in the immigration was however too overwhelming that she took all the adversities in her work place in good faith. And when it was clear that she had been appointed into the immigration service, as the presidential committee made her believe and was asked to report at ITSK, she took another leave and left for Kano State. At Kano, after the documentation, she was posted alongside others back to her state of origin for a three month induction programme into the immigration service. She therefore reported at the Plateau State Command of the NIS and immediately informed her previous employers about the development. Without delay, since they cannot leave their students without a teacher in the subject she was teaching, the employers quickly filled up the vacancy she created with another candidate on their wait list. Patricia however became sceptical about the recruitment when she was not issued her appointment letter in Kano as specified in the e-mail sent to her by the presidential committee; instead she was only documented, issued a staff identification number (NIS Number), was asked to open a salary as well as a pension account and was given a posting letter to the NIS command of her state of origin for induction. She was told her appointment letter will be sent to her through her state of origin’s NIS command. Imagine the risk, the cost and the stress involved for this lady across the length and breadth of the country. Not minding however, she obeyed all instructions.

Just two days into rounding up her induction programme in Jos, she, alongside other participants were surprised to learn that President Buhari has suspended the recruitment exercise and has even suspended the Immigration boss David Parradang for allegedly conducting illegal recruitment into the service as he (PMB) was mischievously briefed by the ministry of interior and the Civil Defence, Fire, Immigration and Prisons Board (CDFIPB). Hence Patricia and other course mates were sacked from what they believed they already had. Since there was nothing to do again in Jos, she returned back to her base in Lagos and ever since then, despondency is the only word that can describe her at the moment. Can you please imagine you were in this lady’s situation? Painful if I can hear you well.

I did not know this until her friend, who happens to be my friend’s fiancée, narrated Patricia’s story and how she has been without job and without money since she was suspended during August, 2015. Her tribulation grew from bad to worse when her landlord began to request for his rent. Patricia’s rent expired in May, 2015, however, since that was the period when all the invitation to partake in this and that in the recruitment process climaxed, she promised her landlord to be patient for his rent until she returns and went ahead to use the amount saved to journey from Lagos to the different places she went to and finally expended all that was left of it during the induction programme, since the participants were not provided with allowances but had to buy everything they needed, including Uniform, Shoes, Beret, Vest and Belt out of pocket, believing things were going to work out fine; unfortunately they were dazed with a suspension along the line by a CDFIPB who misinformed President Buhari that the recruitment was illegal. Right now, young and innocent Patricia has been given till the end of September, 2015 by her landlord to offset her indebtedness or face ejection. I am quite sure those people who are well familiar with Lagos landlords will know exactly what this lady is facing at the moment; all because she dared to serve her country and aimed for a better life.

Can the Civil Defence, Fire, Immigration and Prisons Board (CDFIPB) and the ministry of interior please tell Nigerians how the recruitment became illegal? A recruitment exercise whose mandate was given to a presidential committee to carryout was tagged illegal by a CDFIPB, who has over the years, being known for corruption, ethnicism and prebendal politics, simply because the presidential committee did not allow them to infiltrate the exercise with their relatives, ethnics and those they already collected money from. It was illegal because the relationship between the NIS and the board had not been cordial because of the struggle for the control of the soul of the NIS by the ministry/board hence they had to scuttle the process, thereby misinforming President Buhari in order to have their way, hence inflicting agony, pain, torture and misery on innocent Patricia and other young Nigerians that were appointed through a fair process. For Patricia as well as other Nigerians appointed, she knew nobody, no minister, no board member etc. Luck only smiled on her but because ‘Nigerians who knew nobody’ are not good for the job and were appointed by the presidential committee, then the recruitment must be botched for the CDFIPB to bring in their cronies, who are meant for the job.

Now you can see why I say PMB is not doing well in some areas. It is so ridiculous to note that a ministry/board will continue to subject young Nigerians, who wish to serve their father land with anguish, and a President we voted for cannot do anything to curb the over bearing attitude of the so called board. PMB should remember that Nigerian youths did not force the government to conduct this recruitment exercise, they did not know about the superiority contest between the immigration board and the presidential committee; all they just wanted to do is serve and earn a living; why then should they be made to suffer consequences they did not invite. Can the chairman of the board have Patricia as his daughter and watch her continue to suffer that way? Can Patricia be a grandchild of President Buhari and remain in perpetual sorrow as this whole show of shame of the CDFIPB is putting the poor girl through? Are the members of the board more Nigerian than these innocent youths, imagine two thousand (2,000) Nigerian youths for that matter? Please let this people remember we came around with nothing and we shall depart yonder with nothing. Being privileged to serve Nigeria at the NIS board does not make anyone of them different; the seat can be vacated at anytime for others to come in. President Buhari should please give these appointed youths the chance to serve by recalling them back into the NIS and ratifying their appointments as pronounced by the presidential committee in May, 2015. Finally, I want President Buhari to imagine what he would have become had he not been given the opportunity to serve in the Nigerian Army by the then Nigerian President in the 1960s.

To conclude, I wish to remind everyone out there about the recent mantra of action which the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN - Radio Nigeria) just coined to challenge every one of us to be security conscious. The action word is ‘SEE SOMETHING; SAY SOMETHING’. I therefore urge you, in whatever capacity you belong, to say something about this cruelty and insensitivity to the plight of our youths to our leaders as what we have seen, so that they (especially PMB) can correct their negative actions as it affects the people. Two thousand (2,000) young Nigerians appointed by the presidential committee on the following basis/cadres: 900 for CONPASS – 03; 700 for CONPASS – 06 and 400 for CONPASS – 08 respectively is too much a number to destroy their hopes and dreams because of self interest. Remember, an injustice to one is an injustice to all. SEE SOMETHING; SAY SOMETHING.

#‎RecallBackOurYouthsIntoTheNIS‬

RESIDENT BUHARI AND YOUTHS UNEMPLOYMENT IN NIGERIA: FEMI ADESINA JOINS IN THE DECEPTION.

HOW LONG WILL THIS UNFORGIVABLE ABUSE OF OUR YOUTHS CONTINUE?

As I plunge deep into Japhet J. Omojuwa’s article titled ‘Nigeria: The Unforgivable Abuse of Our People’ published in The Punch Newspaper of Wednesday, September 9, 2015. I couldn’t agree less with Omojuwa’s submission when I heard Femi Adesina, the president’s adviser on media and publicity while speaking on the Osasu Show on AIT on Monday, September 14, 2015. As I watched the show, I continue to laugh within and felt pity for those misinformed youths in the studio putting questions to Adesina on youth unemployment and what the president has as his plans. Even with the clear evidence of how our youths, who were recruited by a presidential committee in May, 2015, are being treated with blatant disregard and impunity, Adesina still had the guts to spew lies of behemoth measures on how President Buhari will even somersault policies to create jobs for Nigerian youths.

It is the highest form of unforgivable abuse to our youths when Adesina said the president recognized that the majority of our populations are youths and that about 60% of these youths are unemployed and that the president is so concerned that he would do anything to reduce this scourge of unemployment. He went further by saying that when a certain Manufacturing Association on Nigeria visited the president; he (Buhari) told the session he is willing to discard/review any policy in as much as it will create jobs for youths. In fact, Adesina further confirmed that Buhari keeps saying that any policy that will support jobs creation for the youths, he will support – OMG! What a humongous and copious lies from a bottomless pit from a respected man from the media. To quickly put it this way, I want to ask Adesina, if Buhari was so concerned that he would do everything to reduce youth unemployment, how come under the same Buhari’s watch; our youths, who were recently recruited by a presidential committee in May, 2015 into the Nigeria Immigration Service, are being treated with deliberate disrespect, abuse and indefinite suspension by a CDFIPB Board and the Ministry of Interior and yet he (Buhari) sits comfortably at Aso Rock Villa without calling them to order, only to be vowing in the media to support any policy that creates jobs for the youths with Femi Adesina assisting him to speak from both sides of the mouth?

To imagine that this country is rehabilitating some Thirty Thousand (30,000) former militants through the payment of monthly stipends (about a Hundred Thousand naira monthly pay) and some skills acquisition programmes in various institutions both in Nigeria and choice destinations abroad, spend thousands of dollars to send Pilgrims to Mecca/Jerusalem, recruit thousands into the Army and DSS, pay millions of dollars to legislators for wardrobe allowace to mention just a few, without complaints of paucity of funds, is a slap on the face of those young Nigerian youths who were recruited into the Immigration Service by the last administration and who have spent their money, time and energy criss-crossing the length and breadth of this country; risking their livesin the process, to get this job only to be suspended indefinitely afterwards due to bickering over who is superior between the Immigration board and the Presidential Committee. How insensitive can PMB be to the plight of these youths and just like Omojuwa concluded; what a better way to raise the middle finger on the entire population of youths in these country by our leaders. Will Femi Adesina claim he is not aware of this when he appeared on the Osasu Show on AIT? Why then is he joining in the deception, given clear evidence? I think I respect Adesina more than what I heard from him on the Osasu Show.

Imagine, since May this year, former militants, including those studying abroad on government scholarships have been complaining that their allowances have not been paid, went ahead to organize protest marches to demand quick payment of these allowances and President Buhari did everything possible, because of fears that the militants may resume their nefarious activities, to quickly resolve their grievances and yet the same president who promised doing everything, including policy support/somersault to create employment for the average Nigerian youth is watching while some Two Thousand (2,000) youths willing to serve their fatherland are being battered and maltreated over what is no fault of theirs by an Immigration board they put there through a collective will and their president cannot intervene.

The Questions remains:

1. Why did the Civil Defence, Fire, Immigration and Prisons Board and the Nigeria Immigration Service not put their house in order before allowing the recruitment exercise to take place?

2. Did young Nigerians force them into conducting the recruitment? Or has it now become a crime for unemployed youths in Nigeria to see vacancies advertised and then apply? Must they always suffer consequences after applying for jobs some Immigration board thinks it should have been allotted to their persons rather than a fair-process selected young Nigerians?

3. When the Immigration Board knew they want the vacancies allotted as they did in 2012 with that woman CGIS (Rose), why did they deceive innocent youths by short-listing them for appointment and sending them on a mandatory 3 months induction into the service, allowing them to spend their monies, lose their petty jobs, went through harrowing experiences of death when they knew all along that the recruitment was a federal government scam and would be suspended indefinitely according to their wish?

4. Why impose an indefinite suspension without any directive to the affected persons on a recruitment process they were made to believe in and which was conducted by a legitimate government, we gave our mandate in 2011?

5. Why is President Buhari, who has promised to sustain and not invalidate any policy of the past administration that supports employment creation for the youths, not happy with the process as recently claimed by Abba Moro, when it is obvious to him that the process was put in place by President Goodluck Jonathan to employ Nigerians through a fair process?

6. Does this whole blame game by the Ministry of Interior, the Civil Defence, Fire, Immigration and Prisons Board and the Nigeria Immigration Service as to who conducted what and who was not carried along in the process not constituting gruesome, callous and an outright disregard/insensitivity to the sufferings and the pains of the affected persons who have been caught in these web of power tussle and leadership impunity/failure?

7. Is this not a blatant disregard to the free flowing tears and sorrow of our youths and more insult to the fresh injuries of the 2014 Abba Moro-Youth-killing recruitment exercise?

In as much as I appreciate President Buhari’s effort to sanitize this nation with the various policies he is rolling out, I beg him in the same vain to please consider these newly appointed youths and spare them of the aftermath of frustration, despondency and restiveness that may follow the revocation of their appointments. If President Buhari is really committed to creating jobs for these teeming youths, and will truly maintain any Jonathan’s policy that support job creation and will even somersault any policy to get our youths employed as acknowledged by Femi Adesina, then this is the time to use his influential leadership style in addressing the uncertainty looming over the fate and future of these young people, by using the mandate many of these youths gave him, to confirm their appointments into the service.
I wish to say herein that I voted for Buhari during the elections and I love his approach all these while, but if he fails to consider these young Nigerians/remedy their plight by using their case to prove to all Nigerian youths that all he is saying about supporting all policies that provides employment for them is genuine, then I may no longer be happy with his regime henceforth.

All the same, I still call on every well meaning Nigerian out there to speak against this impunity against Nigerian youths {two thousands (2,000) of them). Do not to settle back and watch these youth suffer in silence without anybody to talk for them. I call on all our Governors, Senators, Honourable Representatives of the Nigerian people, Legal Aids Council, Civil Society Groups, Social Activists and Advocacy Groups, The Vibrant Nigerian Media, The National Association of Nigerian Students, The Nigerian Bar Association, The National Human Right Commission and many others who have not been mentioned to please help bring this issues to table with the government. You will do those vulnerable youths out there great humanitarian service if you assist in taking this matter up and bringing it to an adorable end, where everyone will laugh and heave a sumptuous relief.

If you love the Nigerian youth and against any form of impunity against them, please share this gory story of blatant leadership impunity against Nigerian youths with everyone you know in order to create the awareness for our brothers and sisters whom these injustices are being meted out on. As youths, the time has come for us to talk about the many injustices against us by our leaders; we must take our destinies in our own hands; we must tell our government what we want and what they are doing wrongly against; we must have a peaceful say on how our affairs are directed in this country. The selfish wish of the Civil Defence, Fire, Immigration and Prisons Board should not override the destinies of two thousand (2,000) Nigerian youths; we put them there through our collective will and we can call them to order through our joint actions too. It is these people today; who knows, it may be you tomorrow.

‪#‎RecallBackOurYouthsIntoTheNIS‬

YOUTHS ARISE! YOUTHS ARISE!!

IS BUHARI’S CHANGE AGENDA, A CURSE TO YOUTHS IN NIGERIA?

PRESIDENT’S CLAIM TO CREATE EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR NIGERIAN YOUTHS IS A SCAM.

BUHARI SHOULD STOP DECEIVING NIGERIAN YOUTHS WITH PROMISES OF EMPLOYMENT.

***Why is The President not Ratifying Appointments recently made into the Nigerian Immigration Service?

In 2014, Abba Moro, the then minister of interior, killed several desperate Nigerian youths who were seeking employment (which has come to be known as a federal government job/recruitment scam) into the Nigeria Immigration Service. The said Abba Moro and his cohorts are still roaming Nigerian roads without being investigated. In order to correct the wrongs of the Abba Moro youth killing exercise, President Goodluck Jonathan set up a presidential committee to assist the Nigeria Immigration Service to conduct the recruitment and appoint qualified Nigerians into the service.

Adverts were placed, applications were received and processed, summary statistics of these applications were published and invitations were forwarded to candidates who completed the applications to proceed for an aptitude test at various designated centres across Nigeria. Consequently, those passed the test were contacted to proceed to their states of origin to partake in a physical examination, document verification and oral interview. At the end, successful candidates were notified of their appointments into the Immigration Service and were asked to report at different Immigration training institutions, according to the category that is involved, for documentation and collection of appointment letters. Imagine the risk, cost and stress involved for all the candidates from the across the length and breadth of the country. Not minding however, the candidates reported and obeyed all instructions.

In all, two thousands (2,000) Nigerian youths were appointed by the presidential committee: 900 for CONPASS – 03; 700 for CONPASS – 06 and 400 for CONPASS – 08 respectively. All the affected candidates were posted back to their various states of origin (with a posting letter to back it up) for a mandatory three (3) months induction programme. Without delay, the induction programme started and it was a nightmare and a torment on earth for these youths. It was only by God’s grace that many could pull through since they reported on June 1. This is because it was more of physical exercises and military drills. Classroom activities were also involved. There were injuries and illnesses and the immigration instructors were brutal and without mercy. Nevertheless, the appointed candidates were courageous, hoping there was succour at the end of it all. To cap it all up, these valiant, dauntless and gallant youths, who only wanted to serve their father land, were not provided with accommodation, nor transport allowances nor feeding allowances; all these expenses were out of their pockets. Still they bore these huge financial expenses and kept their hope alive. Similarly, accompanying the sacrifices made are those ones who already resigned their previous appointments from other establishments for this offer.

Surprisingly however, President Buhari has suspended the recruitment exercise with the ultimate aim of a cancellation and has even suspended the Immigration boss David Parradang for allegedly conducting illegal recruitment into the service. I am sure it baffles you too because the said recruitment he (Buhari, through the ministry of interior and the CDFIPB) is crying over was the one that was conducted by the presidential committee, which was set up by the former president Goodluck Jonathan and the appointment letters they alleged he (David Parradang) issued were those ones issued to the successful candidates (CONPASS 03 - 900) and (CONPASS 06 - 700) respectively as those on CONPASS 08 were not issued appointed letters at their documentation centre in Kano State.

President Buhari should please reconsider his directives by recalling those affected candidates because how can you explain your intentions to these innocent young people, considering all they have been through (especially the risk involved in travelling all over Nigeria, the financial costs, the hazards and the near death experiences) that they were made to pass through since the month of February this year. After all, Nigerian youths were those involved in the recruitment no matter who conducted the exercise and no matter the intentions. Imagine the psychological trauma many of them will be passing through at the moment. Imagine what those who already told everyone about job; those who went to the podium in Churches and Mosques to share the testimonies and thanksgiving of their success etc. Now you are telling them the job is no longer available. Each time I think about it, I keep feeling sad because somebody somewhere is insensitive to the plight of innocent job seekers in the country. I cannot comprehend this blatant disregard for the dignity of these great minds and I cannot see any justification for this injustice and bias that is been perpetrated against our youths.

The Questions are:

1. Why did they not put their house in order before allowing the recruitment exercise to take place?

2. Why did they deceive innocent youths by short-listing them for appointment and sending them on a mandatory 3 months induction into the service, allowing them to spend their monies, lose their petty jobs, went through harrowing experiences of death when they knew all along that the recruitment was a federal government scam?

3. Why impose an indefinite suspension without any directive to the affected persons on a recruitment process they were made to believe in and which was conducted by a legitimate government, we gave our mandate in 2011?

4. Why is President Buhari, who has promised to sustain and not invalidate any policy of the past administration that supports employment creation for the youths, not happy with the process as recently claimed by Abba Moro, when it is obvious to him that the process was put in place by President Goodluck Jonathan to employ Nigerians through a fair process?

5. Does this whole blame game by the ministry of interior, the Civil Defence, Fire, Immigration and Prisons Board and the Nigeria Immigration Service as to who conducted what and who was not carried along in the process not constituting gruesome, callous and an outright disregard/insensitivity to the sufferings and the pains of the affected persons who have been caught in these web of power tussle and leadership impunity/failure?

6. Is this not a blatant disregard to the free flowing tears and sorrow of our youths and more insult to the fresh injuries of the 2014 Abba Moro-Youth-killing recruitment exercise?

Definitely, some people calling themselves leaders in this country are not remorseful and sorry for the pains the youths of this country are going through and are hell bent on causing them more sorrows. I therefore call on every well meaning Nigerian out there to speak against this impunity against Nigerian youths {two thousands (2,000) of them). Do not to settle back and watch these youth suffer in silence without anybody to talk for them. I call on all our Governors, Senators, Honourable Representatives of the Nigerian people, Legal Aids Council, Civil Society Groups, Social Activists and Advocacy Groups, The Vibrant Nigerian Media, The National Association of Nigerian Students, The Nigerian Bar Association, The National Human Right Commission and many others who have not been mentioned to please help bring this issues to table with the government. You will do those vulnerable youths out there great humanitarian service if you assist in taking this matter up and bringing it to an adorable end, where everyone will laugh and heave a sumptuous relief.

If you love the Nigerian youth and against any form of impunity against them, please share this gory story of blatant leadership impunity against Nigerian youths with everyone you know in order to create the awareness for our brothers and sisters whom these injustices are being meted out on. As youths, the time has come for us to talk about the many injustices against us by our leaders; we must take our destinies in our own hands; we must tell our government what we want and what they are doing wrongly against; we must have a peaceful say on how our affairs are directed in this country. The selfish wish of the Civil Defence, Fire, Immigration and Prisons Board should not override the destinies of two thousand (2,000) Nigerian youths; we put them there through our collective will and we can call them to order through our joint actions too. It is these people today; who knows, it may be you tomorrow.

#RecallBackOurYouthsIntoTheNIS