About 19 job seekers died in the stampede which the minister blamed on the applicants.
He said they were impatient during the exercise, sparking outrage from many Nigerians.
President Jonathan, earlier in the week, summoned and queried Moro and the Comptroller-General of Immigration, Mr. David Parradang, on the development.
Moro is said to have been shattered by the situation.
Some ministers and notable leaders from the Middle Belt, especially Plateau and Benue, have been contacted to reach out to the President’s friends with a view to pleading his case.
A source from Middle Belt said: “Some emissaries from the Middle Belt have even trailed the President abroad to discuss Moro’s issue with him.
“They are demanding fair hearing for Moro before any action is taken. They are also pressurizing Moro to open up and release relevant information to the public.
“They said they want the President to give Moro a second chance because the minister’s recourse to a transparent process backfired last Saturday.
It was gathered yesterday that the President was awaiting the return of Senate President David Mark from abroad before deciding Moro’s fate.
The minister is believed to have been nominated by Mark.
The President wants to make security reports on the job stampede available to Mark in deference to his office before wielding the big stick,sources said.
The minister was said to be in “bad shape”, battling for survival.
A source in the presidency, however, said it is difficult to “overlook” Moro’s costly mistake irrespective of political pressure.
According to findings, the President would have sanctioned the minister and others connected with the tragic recruitment exercise, but chose to respect the office of the President of the Senate, Chief David Mark, by making all security reports available to him on Moro.
It was also gathered that the President wanted due process followed before asking Moro to quit.
There were indications that the President had been expecting a comprehensive brief from Moro on the incidents in various venues nationwide; how the recruitment was outsourced to a consulting firm; and the true position on the alleged non-involvement of some critical stakeholders in the exercise.
A source in the presidency said: “The President believes that he should lay all the facts and security on the table for Mark, who nominated Moro into the cabinet.
“The President of the Senate is away to Geneva for the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) meeting. In a political environment like this, the President does not want to remove Moro without ‘adequate’ briefing.
“The worst scenario is to give the President of the Senate another opportunity to nominate a fresh candidate.
“The truth is that the President has made up his mind to sanction those behind the job stampede and deaths. There are governance standards all over the world. Overlooking such a matter will not help the image of the administration.
Asked why the President has not acted, the source added: “If you look at the President’s style, he does not go by the mob or the spur of the moment; he takes his time to act. This case will not be an exception.
“Moro has the choice of toeing the honourable path of resigning or remaining in the cabinet to be sacked.
“But definitely, the game is up for Moro from whatever perspective you think of it. He is the accounting officer of the Ministry of Interior.”
Responding to a question, the source said: “There have been overtures from some governors and leaders from the Middle Belt to the President to give Moro a soft-landing or a second chance.
“There is no way the President will gloss over such a costly mistake which led to the death of about 20 applicants.
“Politics aside, there is moral code all over the world guiding public officers.”
Moro and Parradang are preparing for their appearance before the Senate and House of Representatives next week.
Another source said: “Moro appears to be central to the issue at stake having been fingered in the recruitment crisis by other stakeholders. That is why the minister has been digging up all necessary files to absolve himself of blame.
“The minister has the last chance at the National Assembly next week to clear the air on this job stampede.
“Some people have been trying to ask Moro and the Immigration Service to close ranks on this probe, but there is no sign that all is well.”
Source: The Nation
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