Obot David wrote: An open letter to fellow Nigerians especially fellow youths. Dear Nigerians, In this Nigeria where we call our own irrespective of our biases, I still find it perturbing that our state does not bring out the uneasy side of us. Todays story is one that should be of great concern as well as other issues especially the killings around us and I urge us all to start by holding this government responsible and accountable for the death of helpless people across the country. This government tricked helpless unemployed citizens into getting jobs by extorting N1000 each from them, totaling more than N6bn as at 2013. This would not be the first time the government sees it necessary to extort money from the unemployed claiming to give them jobs, as almost all government parastatals do the same even in heavier fees as N5000. Today, the government had all these youths packed into stadia across the country, released tear gas on them and causing the death of helpless youths. Seeing this, I recall a write up dated 8th of November, 2013: News: Nigerian Immigration N1000 Application Fee - Over N6bn Alleged to have been Generated Posted on Fri 08th Nov, 2013 - hotnigerianjobs --- (68 comments) Nigerian Immigration (NIS) - Minister of Interior, Mr Abba Moro, has clarified issues concerning the controversy generated by the imposition of N1,000 processing fee on the applicants, in the ongoing recruitment exercise into the Nigerian Immigration (NIS). Over N6bn Alleged to have been Generated This is coming as some aggrieved personnel within the parastatal questioned the rationale behind the fee, alleging that about N6 billion should have been generated with an estimated six million or more applicants. Moro, in a statement signed yesterday by his Special Assistant on Media, Mr George Udoh, said the fee was charged by the consulting firm handling the recruitment exercise for administrative purposes. The minister, in the statement titled: Setting the Record Straight, said there were some misrepresentations about his position on the N1000 processing fee charged for every applicant applying for a job in NIS, which is one of the para-military outfits under the leadership of the Minister. He said the response has become necessary to set the records straight by informing members of the public that the Ministry of interior does not charge any fee for job. I have chosen to set the records straight and to correct the misleading reports in some National Newspapers lately because in spite of spirited efforts some sections of the media are still hell bent on dishing out falsehood and half truths to gullible members of the public. According to him, this piece is likely going to be our last attempt to join issues with those who deliberately want to distort records, adding that these explanations will correct the misrepresentation being peddled by mischief makers to discredit the good intentions of the Minister of interior. Moro further explained that the N1,000 charge is the charge by the consulting firm to defray cost of accessing the website to fill forms. This is also intended to save the applicants the cost of travelling to Abia to submit their application forms, as well as avoid other inherent risks, including unauthorised middlemen activities and other abuses. It is also against the backdrop of an earlier exercise that was carried out some years ago during which applicants converged on a common place and there was a stampede resulting in the loss of some lives. As a responsive and responsible Minister who believes in the rule of law, I have the greatest respect for the laws of the land and would not if any circumstance breach any provision of an existing law. The N1,000 charge was approved for the consultant after due consultations with all relevant government agencies, he added. However, some insiders within the service who spoke on the condition anonymity wondered why such fee should be charged from jobless applicants in the first place. According to them, its like impoverishing further Nigerians by taking away the little they have without even assurance of the job they were seeking. A lot of money will be made by this so called processing fee and if over six million Nigerians were to apply for a vacancy of not more than two to five thousand, while generating over N6 billion at their expense, a source noted. Source: Thisday ...Todays mess isnt just a show of shame but a case of no hope for tomorrow as Nigerians watch and do nothing. Most people will just read and say nawa o being that one of the dead isnt a member of their direct family. Like one Victoria I. Ohaeri said, it is a criminal offense punishable by capital punishment for any Nigerian youth to keep silent in the face of the continuing massive social and economic deprivations that they face. It is not just about the extortion, ill treatment and death of these youths but do take a look around you and see the perplexed and sorry state Nigeria is...boko is killing, polytechnic students are home since ages, university threatening to strike again, poor health care system, our monies developing disappearing powers in the hands of our so-called government, PHCN extorting, banks & telecommunications doing same, security personnel are nothing to write home about, cost of living seriously killing, youths going to school in neighbouring countries, poor working state, fuel issues etc. Ill say nothing more but end with what a friend once said If This Countrys Sorry State And The Glaring Impunity Does Not Violate Your Inner Peace...You Must Be Dead Sincerely, Obot David E
Posted on: Sun, 16 Mar 2014 08:57:34 +0000
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