Tony Edike, Chidi Nkwopara and Austin Ogwuda
14 July 2008
Lagos — PLAN by the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) to beef up its staff strength has claimed no fewer than 13 lives across the country, with eight in Enugu, Abia and Anambra states, four in Asaba, and one in Bauchi.
Besides, a road crash at Anara, Imo State has claimed 19 lives, just six days after another crash at Avu Junction in Owerri West Local Government Area, in which 14 passengers died.
The applicants died in physical exercises/stampede during the recruitment held weekend across the country.
The development sparked angry reactions from several quarters, including Governor Sullivan Chime of Enugu State, and some groups in the South-East zone.
21 survivors to get jobs in Enugu
Chime rushed to the ESUT Teaching Hospital on receiving report of the incident and expressed deep concern over the death of the job seekers. His government also promised to give automatic employment to 21 survivors of the stampede, while the Igbo Youth Movement (IYM) reacting to the incident, called for a probe with a view to bringing those responsible for the "many deaths" to book.
Apart from the automatic employment promised by the Enugu State government, it also said the survivors' medical bills would be paid by it.
In the tragedies that occurred in Enugu, Abia and Anambra States during the screening test organised by Nigeria Immigration for thousands of applicants, four persons were confirmed dead in Enugu, two in Abia and two others in Anambra.
Four crushed in Enugu stampede
In Enugu, the stampede occurred at the main gate of the Federal Government College where the job seekers numbering over 10,000 were billed to write an aptitude test.
The Immigration officials had asked the applicants who converged on their Federal Secretariat office beginning with the females to take a 20-minute walk to the college to sit for the test.
It was gathered that on arrival at the college's gate, the female applicants discovered that the gate was locked and therefore waited for officials to open it. But when their male counterparts ran to the place, they attempted to force the gate open leading to the stampede during which some of the job seekers were trampled upon.
Comptroller of Immigration in Enugu State, Mr David Parradang, who confirmed the incident described it as unfortunate, saying while four deaths were recorded, about 20 others were rushed to the ESUT Teaching Hospital.
Reacting to the development, the IYM President, Evangelist Elliot Uko, said the death of the applicants from the South-East was an indictment on the People's Democratic Party (PDP) which dominated leadership in the zone in the past nine years without providing employment for the teeming unemployed youths in the zone.
"This incident is an indictment of Igbo leaders in the PDP who for nine years could not do anything to improve the welfare of the people. The PDP dominated the South-East without anything to show for it rather what the Igbo leaders did was to grab power and use it to loot the resources of their states to the detriment of the masses.
The result is that the South-East today has the largest number of unemployed youths in Nigeria and this is a shame for our leaders," Uko said.
The Enugu State Head of Service, Mr. Albert Edeoga, said yesterday government decided to give automatic employment to 21 survivors of the stampede which occurred in Enugu. Edeoga, who visited victims of the Saturday Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) recruitment stampede at Parklane Hospital, Enugu, said: "We sympathise with you on the unfortunate situation and your travails.
The government has decided to give each of you that are hospitalised, automatic employment in the state after your discharge."
The Head of Service noted that government had also decided to pay the medical expenses of the victims.
Gov. Sullivan Chime of Enugu State also visited the victims of the stampede at the hospital, saying "please accept our sympathy, I am assuring you that the state government will assist you within its limited resources."
4 die in Asaba during marathon race
Four applicants seeking employment into the Nigeria Immigration Service also died on Saturday in Asaba, Delta State capital during a marathon race ordeal as part of the criteria for selection.
Screening for the recruitment into the Inspectorate and Immigration Assistant cadres of the Service were held nationwide on Saturday. But in Asaba, Delta State capital, four among the hundreds of the applicants who began the race from Federal College Education (Technical) Asaba to Stadium as early as 7am did not survive.
They slumped and later gave up the ghost.
As many as eight collapsed on the way but were revived. Four of them were, however, not fortunate as attempt to revive them as soon as they slumped proved abortive.
Men of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) including staff of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) were on hand to control traffic on the busy Nnebisi, which was the route, used for the marathon.
One collapses, dies in Bauchi
An applicant participating in the recruitment exercise into the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) Sunday collapsed and died in Bauchi.
A senior Immigration officer, who preferred anonymity, told NAN that the deceased collapsed while participating in a 2.5-kilometre marathon race as part of the requirements for enlistment into the service.
The incident occurred at the Police Barracks Bauchi, venue of the exercise.
"Two of the male applicants who collapsed during the marathon were rushed to a nearby hospital, but one of them died," the source said.
The male applicants were expected to finish the distance in 18 minutes while the female applicants were expected to cover the same distance in 20 minutes.
"The exercise is the hardest part of the selection formalities, but some of the applicants are not physically fit enough for it," the officer said.
He said about 3,600 people applied for the 40 vacancies in the lower cadre of the service in Enugu.
The officer further told NAN that the applicants were fore-warned that those who were not fit enough should not participate as the service would not be held responsible for any problem arising from the physical exercise.
NAN reports that some applicants were limping as a result of injuries sustained at the end of the marathon.
19 die in Imo auto crash
Meanwhile, no fewer than 19 passengers perished in a motor accident, at Anara, Isiala Mbano Local Government Area of Imo State.
The accident is coming barely six days after another crash at Avu Junction, Owerri West Local Government Area, along the ever busy Owerri-Port Harcourt highway, which claimed 44 lives.
Confirming the latest accident in an interview, the Imo State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Mr. Angus Obum Ibezim, said a Mercedes Benz 608 commuter bus with number plate AG 615 CAL had a head on collision with a tipper with number plate XA 666 AFR.
"The crash occurred at a sharp, sloppy curve, which makes control of vehicles on top speed difficult at that point. Twenty three persons were quickly moved to Mbano Joint Hospital, out of which one later died, bringing the total death rate to 19," the Sector commander said.
According to Ibezim, "the bus driver obviously lost control as he was descending and rammed into the approaching tipper," adding that the bus was ripped open, spilling its occupants.
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i thank u poeple for ur good job. i did the race too it was not easy but i came out succesful by his grace. my worry now is that nothing ve been heard about the recruitment pls help me i need ti know when they will start giving out employment letter thew year is almost over and i am desperating i need of this job thanks.