Some officers and men of the Nigerian Immigration Services have decry unwantom interference in the official work of the Comptroller General of the Immigration Services, CGIS, stating that the continued political meddling and unconstitutional reelings of promotion of certain officers with impunity will soon sink the service into muddy waters unless urgent intervention is taken by the authorities.
According to reports filtering from the service, since the assumption of office, the current Minister of Interior being the supervising Minister, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has caused serious irregularities using special promotions in elevating juniors over their seniors; thus, causing discord, insubordination and gross indiscipline in the service.
The Minister is alleged to be interfering in the day to day running of the NIS to the point of fully taking charge of officer’s postings both foreign and local and thereby reducing the CGIS to a mere rubber stamp.
The sources said: “The secretary of the Board CIVIL DEFENCE, CORRECTIONAL, FIRE AND IMMIGRATION SERVICES BOARD Mr Jaafar Ahmed being a retired Comptroller General of Correctional Service that is expected to have a better understanding in regiment often choose to maintain culpability.
“The serving and retired officers are aggrieved, morale is low, staff welfare is zero and renumeration of NIS is extremely poor. The charade being painted by the Minister to public domain is contrary to what is happening in the service, officers are dying in silence.” An impeccable source from the service told newsmen in Abuja.
It was gathered that, Immigration Officers serving at various foreign missions abroad are also suffering due to non-payment of statutory allowances.
They alleged that: “The Officers got their 2024 first quarter allocation (January to March) in September while the returning Officers passages were grossly short-changed.
“The figures paid are unrealistic contrary to the laid down chart that is often used in the computation of the said passages used by MDAs in foreign missions. All these periods, no formal communication between the NIS leadership and their officers abroad, most of the officers have become beggars and borrowers.”
They lamented that seniority has been destroyed by the present leadership. Senior Assistant Comptroller Generals that are supposed to oversee Directorates at Headquarters are posted out while their juniors are meant to oversee Directorates.
“This impunity goes under special promotion in that in 2023
ADESHOKAN ADEOLA was not due but was specially promoted from the rank of Comptroller of Immigration to Assistant Comptroller General. BASHIR AMINU was barely one year on his rank as Assistant Comptroller, was given special promotion to Deputy Comptroller.
“In 2024, Olaiya Titilayo Opeyemi was mysteriously catapulted from the rank of Deputy Comptroller to Assistant Comptroller General. Nene Orupabo was given special promotion in January 2024 to Deputy Comptroller and in October 2024 another special promotion to the rank of Comptroller. Bagari Dauda Mohammed was also a recipient of the scandalous special promotion from Comptroller to Assistant Comptroller General.
“All these officers were not due for next respective ranks when they were promoted. Officers and men of NIS are calling on concerned authorities like SGF, ICPC, Head of Service and National Assembly to come to their aid to address these issues before the service completely sink,” our source said.
