Why Immigration tragedy report is delayed – Senate

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

The Senate has explained that consideration of other more pressing reports, such as the missing $20 billion probe report has prevented it from giving expeditious treatment to the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) tragedy probe report, which was submitted two months’ ago by Atiku Abubakar Bagudu.

Speaking to journalists yesterday in Abuja, the chairman of the Senate Committee on Rules and Business, Ita Enang, said such important issues are usually listed by his committee for discussion, but are often shifted by other more pressing issues.

He said the matter would be dealt with by the upper chamber in no distant time, even as he assured that every important and pressing issue would be treated by the lawmakers.

Meanwhile, he gave a hint that the Senate will adjourn on the 24th of this month, according to the published calendar of the Senate.

However, there are indications that the Senate may adjourn next week to enable Muslim senators travel to perform their Hajj after the fasting period.

Recall that Peoples Daily had reported that more than two months after the immigration tragedy report was submitted by the senate Committee on Interior, the Senate has kept mum over the probe report, raising suspicion that it might have been swept under the carpet.

The shabby conduct of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) recruitment exercise resulted in stampede across the screening centers, which claimed about 20 young job seekers.

The Senate had intervened and set up a committee probe the remote and immediate cause of the tragedy, and report back in two weeks.

However, more than two months after the report was submitted in the Senate plenary, nothing was heard about it, hence the public suspicion that the Senate might have killed the probe report.