President Goodluck Jonathan has ordered the cancellation of the mass recruitment of job seekers by its ministries, departments and agencies, including the recent recruitment into the Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS, with the exception of the Nigerian Army and the Nigeria Police Force.

This was disclosed Wednesday by the minister of Information, Labaran Maku, when he briefed State House correspondents on the outcome of the weekly Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting in Abuja.

Maku said that the meeting, chaired by the President, was devoted entirely to the unfortunate incident which occurred last Saturday during the recruitment examination of the NIS, where about 20 lives were lost nationwide.

He said that the council set up a committed to be headed by the chairman of the Federal Civil Service Commission, Joan Ayo, to conduct fresh recruitment into the NIS in place of the botched attempt.

Maku said that families of those that lost their loved ones during the incident would be offered three slots each with one being a woman) in the new exercise, while those injured would be given automatic employment.

According to the minister, the President instructed all government agencies henceforth “never to embark on any exercise of this nature” in recruiting people into public service because what happened could have been avoided all together.

Other members of the committee include representatives of the State Security Service, SSS, the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakat, members of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC and the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC.

Maku said that the federal government would take measures to ensure that such tragedy as witnessed in the immigration service recruitment bid did not repeat itself.

He added that the President, alongside members of the council, would pay condolence visits to all families of the victims of the incident.