#NISstampede: Confusion in Abuja as 200 applicants insist on automatic employment

The desperation which led to the recent debacle at the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) recruitment exercise is apparently yet to dissipate.

Reports have it that the National Hospital, Abuja has been invaded by applicants seeking to benefit from the president’s offer of automatic employment or his promise of paid medical bills.

About 200 people are said to have claimed that they were injured in the tragedy bu that they sought treatment in private hospitals and not at the National Hospital.


Leadership reports:



A source close to the hospital also confided in LEADERSHIP last night that the applicants had been coming in trickles, claiming that they had treated themselves at certain private hospitals after the stampede.



The source, who sought anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the matter, also disclosed that some of the applicants claimed that since the federal government was going to rely on the medical records from the hospital, they also needed the medical certificate to be considered for the automatic jobs.



He added that some of the applicants, who claimed to have sustained serious injuries at the incident, brandished documents of participation at the botched exercise at the National Stadium in Abuja.



The source said: “There is a deep problem in the land and people are becoming more desperate. This is sheer wickedness. Can you imagine a situation where some people are now claiming that they sustained injuries during the stampede and treated themselves in private hospitals and now need money since government has said that it will pick the medical bills?



“Incidentally, federal government is yet to make any funds available to us as we treated the victims without collecting any amount from them.



“Some of them are even claiming that they are related to the dead victims, saying that they are ready to take the three slots earmarked for the deceased. It will also interest you that some of them brought lawyers that will file legal action against government and claim compensation on their behalf.



“There was this pregnant woman who refused to be persuaded on the grounds that she must be given automatic employment or she would remain in the hospital. We had to use diplomacy before she agreed to leave.”