Jonathan taking advantage of NIS recruitment deaths —APC

Alhaji Lai Mohammed

The All Progressives Congress has accused President Goodluck Jonathan of taking political advantage of the death of some applicants during a nationwide recruitment exercise by the Nigerian Immigration Service in 2014.

The opposition party said giving N5m to each family who lost a relative in the exercise after one year was not only belated but aimed at currying votes.

In a statement issued in Lagos on Saturday by its National Publicity Secretary, Lai Mohammed, the party wondered why it took the President one year to act on the promise he made to the families.

It said but for the forthcoming elections, Jonathan would have simply ignored the families in his usual style.

The statement read, ‘’The truth is that this President was forced to act because of the elections. Otherwise, why has it taken one year for the President to redeem his promise to the bereaved families? Why has his administration not sanctioned those who sent innocent job seekers to their early graves after extorting them? Why is the Interior Minister, Mr. Abba Moro, who presided over the deaths, still in office, virtually dancing on the graves of those innocent youths?

‘’Sunday, March 15, will mark one year since those vibrant youths were lured to their deaths by a callous Federal Government that failed them in all ramifications, including the security of their lives and the assurance of their welfare, the raison d’etre of any government.

“It is therefore utterly reprehensible, immoral and wicked for the same administration to seek to make political gains out of the needless tragedy.”

APC also accused Jonathan of seeking to take political advantage of other tragedies, including the Buni Yadi massacre of school children and the abduction of Chibok girls, “in his desperation for re-election.”