Minister denies hijack of recruitment exercise

Clement Idoko, Abuja - 22.07.2008

Minister of Interior, Major-General Godwin Abbe, on Monday denied allegations of hijack of recruitment exercise into the Nigeria Prisons Service and Immigration recently conducted.

This is just as he cried out that medical doctors were killing people silently by issuing fake certificate of medical fitness to them.

He was reacting to allegations that he had taken over the recruitment exercise into the services with motive to favour his candidates in an exercise that led to the death of of several applicants.

The minister, who spoke through his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Tope Ajakaiye, described the allegation as blatant lies and mischief, saying emphasis had been on merit and fairness to everybody.

The minister, who described the death of some of the applicants as unfortunate, said he meant well for the country when he first gave directives that the recruitment be decentralised to allow for equal opportunities for every state.

“President Umaru Yar’Adua is preaching due process and rule of law, transparency and that he wants to do things that his hands will be clean and that every Nigerian must be given an opportunity. In effect, there is nothing like hijacking.

“Formerly, these things were done centrally from the headquarters of these services. People would apply to the headquarters and are called for interviews and there used to be allegation that they just do eye-service and work with the list of the big men, traditional rulers, ministers, senators, and shortlist and just bring out names.

“As an ordinary person, you won’t hear the conclusion of the interview. So this man came, he said no, that things should not continue like that.

“Have you heard that in this kind of interview where people have to go to their states, saying everybody come and compete for position? It was never done before and this minister initiated it. So how can he hijack his own initiative?” he queried.