18th March, 2014
Sola Adeola/Abuja
The Nigerian Senate resumed Tuesday after a week recess that enabled the senators attend to budget matters, and unanimously condemned the stampedes that led to the death of at least 19 applicants who attended last Saturday’s job interview organised by the Nigerian Immigration Service, NIS, across the country.
Senator Atiku Bagudu Abubakar from Kebbi State moved the motion for a debate on the Saturday tragedy during which the issue of unemployment in the country was extensively debated.
Senator Sola Adeyeye from Osun State expressed his anger over the disaster and said if the youths were focused they should have use the opportunity to start an uprising.
“By now all of us would have been running helter-skelter,” he said, and cursed the leaders of Nigeria that God will judge them.
He lamented that the future of Nigeria is dying and denied that a slot for the immigration job was allotted to him as speculated by a section of the media.
Senator Ita Enang from Akwa Ibom State said unemployment is worse than a revolution and insurgence.
He suggested that a state of emergency be declared on unemployment and each person from the families of the dead be employed by the Nigeria Immigration Service.
Senator Abdul Ningi from Bauchi State warned that the tragedy should not be politicized.
He suggested that a certain percentage of the national income be saved for unemployment.