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As the race for the velvet beret and the number one seat of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) thickens, coinciding with the retirement of CG Isah Jere Idris as he takes a bow out of Service in few days, three ACGs are penciled down, out of which one will be appointed to head this sensitive Organization.
All things been equal, the Hon Minister of Interior may announce Mr President’s decision anytime from now. On the contrary, the next in hierarchy takes charge, also in acting capacity, as stated by law.
In his reaction, the UN Ambassador SDG, Amb. (Dr) Hussaini H. Coomassie and Global Vice Chairman, Advocacy for Good Governance & Social Justice Network, who is also former Senior Immigration officer urges the Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola as well as secretary of the Board of Civil Defence, Fire, Immigration & Correctional Services, Hajiya Aisha Rufa’I to advise the President accordingly to make a wise selection that will place experience, hard work and dedication to duty above all considerations.
According to the former Immigration Officer, the office of the Comptroller-General of Immigration should no longer be subject of political horse-trading to favour sectional, tribal or religious pressures as this will go a long way of taking the Service out of the many internal crises bedeviling it.
He explained that with the Immigration Service suffering from poor handling of passports Administration & Control, Border Management, posting of unprofessional officers to foreign missions abroad, poor staff welfare, indiscipline and high rate of corruption in recent years, there is urgent need to have a Boss that has capacity to holistically overhaul the system and make it a fit with global best practices.
He added that real important projects that should have given the Service a new lease of life have become no more than cosmetics by some to divert attention from the low efficiency in the services it renders to the nation.
“Apart from SHQ, there is no staff barracks, staff buses and sound medical Centres to provide safety nets for the staff to give their best to the Service. This can be seen in how some of the newly commissioned Command Headquarters are decaying due to poor handling of the projects.
“The Zone B Headquarters covering about 7 states and other Zonal Headquarters are still operating from Federal Secretariats across the country. The most annoying parts of the governance in the Service includes Flag Staff House for the CGI, befitting Staff cars for principal officers such as State Comptrollers, Zonal Coordinators and ACGs/CISs at the Service Headquarters.
“What an irony that many have served their 35 solid years and even retired without a vehicle to go home with! In fact, State CIS and Zonal Coordinators should be given 508 Peugeot/BMW/TOYOTA or any car of the same categories as its in other sister agencies such Police, Civil Defense, Prisons and Customs Services,” he advised.
The Ambassador also calls for the attention of Immigration high command to look into the issue of unstable internet access, poor passport Administration & Control, poor manning of international borders, poor passport/NIMC synchronization and synergy among other challenges combined, put the service in the almost comatose state it has found itself presently.
“With this geography of challenges, only a fearless, bold, responsible and hardworking officer can face these stark realities head-on. I therefore call on Mr. President to use his good office and make wide consultations within and outside the service before deciding on the credible candidate.
“In the alternative, Mr President may look elsewhere from pool of retired experienced individuals from the Immigration, Police, Military or even competent civil servants to appoint as CGIS. Nigeria has abundance of these individuals that is not exclusive to Nuhu Ribadu, Lawal Daura, DIG Katsina among others, all we need is result.
On the issue of Printing of Nigeria’s National Passport abroad and handling of residency by foreigners, he said it exposes the country’s to threats and should be discontinued and abolished with immediate effect.
“For crying out loud, how can Nigeria allowed a foreign firm to produce her National identity (Passport) in Malaysia or an Indian firm controlling data & Administration of Residence Permit?
“The contract with Indian firm, CONTEC Global, handling Combined Expatriate Residence Permit & Aliens Card (CERPAC) and SOCKET WORKS, IRIS TECHNOLOGY that handles Production of Nigerian passports in Malaysia & control of data base, were fraudulently signed to benefit some unpatriotic individuals who have no feelings for Nigeria, so Mr PRESIDENT should as a matter of urgency and National interest, set up a committee to keenly look into these affairs of these 3 evil sister partners and do the NEEDFUL before he (Mr President) leaves office in 2023.
“I know there are some super powers behind their continuous operations but this should no longer be tolerated, they are gradually crippling the Services of Immigration, imagine despite the billions of dollars and naira generated by the NIS goes to JP Morgan and other private accounts with no kobo remitted into the service’s account.
“The NIS still needs to revisit the issue of fake certificates used by some officers. It is most astonishing that these officers with fake certificates are the most favoured in selective promotions and postings, including foreign postings to our missions abroad, because of godfatherism which has BASTARDISED the service in recent years.
“Consequently, some officers have even tampered with their date of birth to elongate their years of service. When you see such officers physically, they look weary with schism all over and still claimed to have five or more years to serv. Why is the service knowingly ignoring these issues? We must follow this to a logical conclusion insha ALLAH. A stich in time saves nine. Any officer caught with such unpatriotic & criminal practice must have to be dismissed and prosecuted,” he concluded.
