BY  GABRIEL ENOGHOLASE

BENIN—SECRETARY to Edo State Government, Prof. Julius Ihonvbere, has described as sad, unfortunate and an embarrassment to the world, the death of over 18 applicants at the Nigeria Immigration Service recruitment exercise. He also consoled the families of those who lost their loved ones during the exercise.

Prof. Ihonvbere, who was reacting to the unfortunate weekend incident, recalled that, “two weeks ago, I represented Governor Adams Oshiomhole at the meeting of the Forum of Progressive Governors, where we discussed this issue of unemployment.

“The truth of the matter is that the pictures you saw at the NIS recruitment tests across the country demonstrate the problem of Nigeria. The incident shows failure at all levels, particularly at the federal, to stimulate growth and development that will create investments and jobs, so that people will not be dying while trying to write job tests.

“This is an embarrassment to the world because, this is the number you have in virtually all the states and it tells you where criminality and criminal gangs recruit their members from, the pressure on families and why the middle class cannot grow.

“We have no training to package people who have qualifications that can work. We have no serious training on how to get people self-employed, not even on how to encourage people to go for post-graduate training on specialised courses so that they can be employed or self-employed. We just abandon young people and when they are told to come to write test in a stadium without tables, people are dying. It is very sad and unfortunate. I weep for Nigeria.”

He also noted that his senatorial district was suffering because men of integrity and character were not represented it at the national level, saying: “We had no teaching hospital, no university and no industries until the coming of Adams Oshiomhole, who is now involved in industrial investment.”