‘It’s political,’ party faults Jonathan’s move to compensate bereaved families of Immigration tragedy one year after

dimeji akinloye

March 14, 2015 12:32 PM

The APC has accused president Goodluck Jonathan of playing politics with his recent move to compensate the bereaved families of the Immigration recruitment tragedy, noting he ignored them for one year.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has faulted President Goodluck Jonathan’s move of giving N5 million each to the families that lost their relatives in the Immigration recruitment exercise in March 2014, saying it’s political.

The party said the gesture, which is coming one year after, is aimed at currying votes for the forthcoming elections.

The National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, noted this in a statement in Lagos on Saturday, March 14. He queried that it took the president one year to fulfil the promise he had made to the affected families.

‘The truth is that this President was forced to act because of the elections. Otherwise, why has it taken one year for the President to redeem his promise to the bereaved families? Why has his Administration not sanctioned those who sent innocent job seekers to their early graves after extorting them? Why is the Interior Minister, Mr Abba Moro, who presided over the deaths, still in office, virtually dancing on the graves of those innocent youths?

‘Sunday, March 15th, will mark one year since those vibrant youths were lured to their deaths by a callous federal government that failed them in all ramifications, including the security of their lives and the assurance of their welfare, the raison d’etre of any government. It is therefore utterly reprehensible, immoral and wicked for the same administration to seek to make political gains out of the needless tragedy,’ the statement said.

President Goodluck Jonathan on Friday, March 13, gave N75m and 35 jobs offer to 15 families who lost their loved ones in the tragedy.

dimeji akinloye