4 job seekers drag FG to court

4 unemployed youth have asked a Federal High Court to compel the FG to pay them N10 million as general damages for failing to provide them with jobs.

Four unemployed youth have asked a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja to compel the Federal Government to pay them N10 million as general damages for failing to provide them with jobs.

They include Patience Omezie, Kasim Suleiman, Okojie Arabamen and Godwin Morka.

The plaintiffs, in a suit filed on their behalf by Chief Jubril Okutekpa (SAN), told the court that they were among Nigerian youths who were exposed to serious harm in the botched recruitment conducted by the Nigerian Immigration Service, NIS.

A total of 19 applicants, including a pregnant woman, reportedly lost their lives at various centres across the federation where the exercise took place.

Consequently, the plaintiffs, aside from praying for damages against the Federal Government, also urged the court to sack the Minister of Interior, Mr. Abba Moro, under whose supervision the NIS tragedy occurred.

Besides, they are praying the court to declare that “Abba Moro is not a fit and proper person to hold public office in Nigeria having regard to his callous statement that Nigerians, who died and those injured during the exercise, were careless.”

The Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr. Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN), the NIS and its comptroller, Mr. David Parradang, were also joined as defendants in the suit.

The plaintiffs also want the court to declare that the defendants acted negligently and in total disregard to the sanctity of lives of over 520,000 Nigerians, who were invited for interview and or screening.

They also declared that the N1,000 collected from the applicants was unlawful and contrary to the public service rules and regulations as it amounted to a breach of constitutional and statutory duties of the defendants.

They equally want the court to direct the defendants to account the for fee and repay the applicants, as such payment was illegal, unconstitutional and contrary to public policy and good conscience.

Meanwhile, Justice Abdul Kafarati, yesterday, okayed the suit for hearing on December 1.