The families of persons who lost their lives in the 2014 Nigerian Immigration Service recruitment stampede on Thursday protested their non-compensation nearly two years after the tragedy.
The protesters marched to the National Assembly, Abuja.
They carried out the march under the “Nigerian Immigration Service Recruitment Stampede Victims”.
They were joined by other victims of the incident.
The National Coordinator of the group, Edmund Osasumah, who led the protesters, decried the Federal Government’s refusal to fulfil its promises to the families of the dead and other victims of the incident.
Osasumah cited government’s promise to employ three members of families of each of the deceased as one of the unredeemed promises.
The News Agency of Nigeria recalls that no fewer than 45 job seekers died and many were injured during a nationwide recruitment test conducted by the Nigeria Immigration Service on March 15, 2014.
They were part of over 6.5 million applicants who went to the various recruitment centres in the 36 states and Abuja seeking to fill 4,000 vacant positions declared by the service.
Osasumah said the deceased’s families’ members, who were given employment letters on March 11, 2015, were yet to assume duties “because NIS promised that they will resume the same time with the injured victims”.
According to him, 137 injured victims who were screened and cleared by NIS are yet to be given appointment letters.
He said: “Our agitation right now is for the NIS to release the employment letters of the injured victims who were screened six months ago.”
Osasumah urged the lawmakers to intervene to ensure that they were adequately compensated.
“We just pray that the relevant authorities should use their relevant offices to intervene on our behalf,” he added.
Receiving the group, the Leader of the House of Representatives, Femi Gabajabiamila (Lagos-APC), assured them that the House would expedite action to ensure that they were adequately compensated.
Gabajabiamila said it was unfortunate that the families were yet to be compensated since the incident.
He said: “I want to assure you that we will definitely do something about this.
“I personally, as your Majority Leader, will take this matter up.
“And I believe that all hands will be on deck to ensure that this matter is addressed expeditiously and judiciously.
“We will look into it and we will summon who we need to summon and we will give it priority.”
Similarly, the Minority Leader of the House, Leo Ogor (Delta-PDP), commended the group for its approach in addressing the problem.
Ogor said the House would do everything within the legislative ambits to see that the letters were ratified.
He said: “We should appreciate the fact that every Nigerian is equal.
“As long as the employment letters have been issued, I will appeal that you hold strictly to them and we will do everything to ensure that they ratify those letters and everybody goes back to his or her job.”
NAN.