By Deborah Hassan
365Daily – Medical doctors seeking jobs in Saudi Arabia scampered to safety after operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) on Thursday, August 26, 2021, disrupted a recruitment exercise holding at the Sheraton Hotels, Abuja.
The recruitment interview was organised by the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Health.
On Tuesday, news of the recruitment of medical doctors and consultants went viral, with pictures showing many of them waiting to be interviewed. A follow up exercise was scheduled for Thursday.
However, DSS operatives stormed the hotel on Thursday morning, dispersed the doctors and arrested a journalist with the International Centre for Investigative Reporting, Marcus Fatunde.
“When I came here, we saw the DSS operatives dispersing the people that came for the interview and before we knew it, everywhere had been scattered.
“A journalist with the ICIR, Marcus Fatunde, was also arrested, but he has been released,” the Punch reported an eye witness as saying.
It continued: “A doctor, who did not want his name in print said, “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.
“Two categories of people were here today: the jobless ones and the ones who are poorly remunerated.
“We didn’t commit any crime; we just wanted a better system. So, why is the government trying to frustrate us?”
According to the Punch, the Vice-President, Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors, Adejo Arome, while reacting to the incident, said the organisers of the interview confirmed to him that the exercise had been suspended.
He said, “Well, some people got to the venue today (Thursday) and when they didn’t meet anyone, they called me and I confirmed from the recruiters and some other doctors that the recruitment has been suspended.
“The recruitment on Tuesday garnered coverage, because of the media publicity. It was everywhere that doctors were going to Saudi Arabia.
“The recruiters had to suspend it because the Federal Government said it felt embarrassed by the news.
“It is a big shame. The government has no right to infringe on the right of the citizens to choose to go to another country. If the system is not working, let them go to another country.”