Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) has called for the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) to be prosecuted for what it termed industrial murder following the death of reported 19 NIS applicants across the country.
Reacting yesterday to the death of the applicants in Minna, Port Harcourt, Benin and Abuja during Saturday’s nationwide aptitude test, NLC Vice President, Issa Aremu, said for millions of youths to apply for 4, 500 vacancies in Nigeria showed that the 18 per cent rate of unemployment was only a ruse, as the country suffered more staggering lack of jobs.
He said: “Nationwide, it was a tragic weekend for millions of applicants for the 4,500 employment vacancies declared by the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS). Again avoidable deaths, tears and sorrow characterized a simple recruitment exercise of 4,500.
“This unacceptable development runs against the best employment practices as contained in Nigeria’s Labour Act and relevant conventions and resolutions of International Labour Organization (ILO) guiding decent work as subscribed to by Nigeria.
“As at the last count, 19 applicants reportedly died in notable centres, namely Benin, Abuja, Minna and Port Harcourt.”
He said: “It will be recalled that in 2008, similar exercise by the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) ended in the unacceptable deaths of scores of applicants. When tragedies get addictive and widespread, these are avoidable incidents.
“Indeed the deaths are industrial murders whose perpetrators are known. Nigerians demand for direct government actions on the part of President Goodluck Jonathan to demonstrate that no life of an applicant will be further wasted at any recruitment centre.”