Excitement At Immigration As FG Directs Acting CG To Proceed On Retirement

THE Governing Board of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has asked the Acting Comptroller-General (CG) of Immigration, Isah Jere Idris, to proceed on retirement on or before 24 April 2023.

The Punch reported that the Board gave the directive in a memo dated Monday, April 17.

The memo was signed by the secretary of the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board, Obasi Edmond, on the orders of the Board Chairman and Interior Minister, Rauf Aregbesola.

It was titled, “Notification of expiration of one-year extension in office as acting Comptroller-General, Nigeria Immigration Service.”

In the memo dated April 17, 2023, with code number CDCFIB/APPT.CG&DCG/61/VOL.IV/74, the Board advised the CG to hand over to the most senior officer in the organisation. 

Part of the memo reads, “I write to draw your attention to the end of one-year extension in office granted to you by Mr President via letter no. SH/COS/42/3/3/A128 date April 22, 2022, and which would be expiring on April 24, 2023.

“Consequently, you are directed to hand over to the most senior Deputy Comptroller-General on or before Monday, April 24, 2023, pending Mr President’s appointment of a substantive Comptroller-General of the Service.

“The Board is grateful to you for your immense contributions to the Nigeria Immigration Service and the country and wishes you success in your future endeavours.”

President Muhammadu Buhari had, last year, extended the service of the acting CG, who was due to retire on April 17, 2022, when he clocked 60 years, according to the civil service rule.

Buhari had appointed Idris to replace Muhammed Babandede, whose tenure ended in 2021. He was in office for five years.

His appointment was frowned upon by some Nigerians who accused the President of picking people of Northern extraction to head all the country’s paramilitary agencies throughout his two terms in office, totalling eight years.

The President leaves office on May 29.

Idris was in charge of Finance and Accounts in the Immigration Service when he was appointed.

Meanwhile, sources at the Immigration Service told The ICIR on Wednesday, 19 April that Idris was not ready to leave until the Board asked him to quit.

During a visit to the NIS headquarters on Wednesday, The ICIR reporter observed that many Immigration staff were excited about the government’s decision to retire the acting CG.

The ICIR reporter spoke to a number of Immigration personnel, who expressed happiness at the development.

“Don’t mind him. He was supposed to go last year in April. He was looking for an extension. He was not ready to go until Aregbesola (Interior Minister) told him to go,” a staff member who did not want to be named said.

Other staff who spoke with The ICIR reporter expressed similar views. It was gathered that many personnel of the Immigration Service were not happy with the extension of the acting CG’s service last year.

Another staff urged the Federal Government to appoint the most senior official of the agency as the substantive CG.

“The government should look at the year of entry of the two most senior (people in the organisation). Aregbesola must put a CG there before quitting because he (the minister) is leaving with the President. Let’s see how it goes between now and next week.”

Checks by The ICIR revealed that the most senior official in the institution is due to retire next month (May).

• Source: The International Centre for Investigative Reporting (The ICIR)

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