On Thursday, Department of State Services agents dispersed medical doctors who stormed the Sheraton Hotels in Abuja to participate in a Saudi Arabian Ministry of Health employment interview.
Hundreds of medical experts reportedly flocked to the hotel’s Ladi Kwali Hall on Tuesday to take part in the recruitment, with another session planned for Thursday.
According to our sources, DSS agents attacked the hotel on Thursday morning and dispersed the doctors and journalists who had gathered there.
Marcus Fatunde, a journalist with the International Centre for Investigative Reporting, was detained at the event.
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Fatunde, on the other hand, was issued later.
“When I arrived here, we observed the DSS agents scattering the persons who had come for the interview, and before we knew it, everything had been scattered,” an eyewitness claimed.
“An ICIR journalist, Marcus Fatunde, was also detained, although he has since been released.”
“Some of us who came here today came because we don’t even have jobs and we don’t want to do the wrong things,” a doctor who did not want his name published stated.
“Today, two groups of people were present: those who were unemployed and those who were underpaid.
“We didn’t do anything wrong; all we needed was a better system.” So, why is the government attempting to annoy us?
Adejo Arome, Vice-President of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors, reported that the interview organizers communicated to him that the exercise had been suspended.
“Well, some people arrived at the place today (Thursday) and when they didn’t meet anyone, they called me, and I confirmed through the recruiters and some other doctors that the recruitment had been suspended,” he explained.
“The recruitment on Tuesday received media attention as a result of the publicity. Doctors were being flown to Saudi Arabia from all around the world.
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“The recruiters were forced to put it on hold because the Federal Government expressed its displeasure with the news.
“It’s a real pity. The government has no jurisdiction to encroach on citizens’ freedom to travel to another country. Let them travel to another nation if the system isn’t working.”
Attempts to reach the DSS spokesman, Peter Afunanya, for comment did not yield positive results as of the time of filing this story, as he did not answer his phone and had yet to respond to a message left on his cellphone.
