Nandap, Ahmed Walks Tight Rope

…As Immigration Service Swaps 3 for 6 In Controversial Promotion Exercise

BY EGUONO ODJEGBA

Even as the dust raised over alleged insider criminal dealings that helps convicts escape prescribed punishments in jail through alternative accommodation arrangement as against restricted lifestyle in a formal penitentiary, the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) is again in the news; this time too, for the very wrong reasons also bothering on institutional decay.

Decay exemplified in gross professional misconduct but unlike the most recent alleged perversion of the cause of justice, this time the NIS leadership has opened a new chapter in which names of officers who are not only junior by comparison to their superiors, but who did not participate in the last promotion examination exercise have allegedly, been used to supplant names of senior officers, and who as a result were made to lose out in the just concluded service’s promotion.

Those whose business it is to know also fingered the leadership of the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Service Board (CDCFIB) in the promotion saga.

Information at our disposal indicate that the development is coming on the heels of the recent NIS promotion examination for its officers and men in June this year, which result was released recently and in which a total of 13,977 were promoted.

Pinnacle Time reports authoritatively that whereas a total of twenty comptrollers sat for the promotion examination, fifteen were listed as those promoted, leaving out five. Trouble however, is, of those that wrote the examination while five did not make the promotion list on the one hand, on the other hand, five who were neither comptrollers nor participated in the comptroller to assistant comptroller general (ACG) rank examination; were promoted ACGs.

Impeccable sources informed this newspaper that whereas there are vacancies in the service for the 20 comptrollers that sat for the promotion exercise to be promoted ACGs; it remains unclear why the management settled for only fifteen.

More worrisome is the report that not only did management abandoned five of those who sat for the promotion exercise but that management went ahead to fill the vacant positions with three of those with special promotion, one of who is a new deputy comptroller and two, comptrollers with just about two years to the bargain. Neither of the three wrote the promotion examination nor qualified yet to do so by virtue of the public service rules on promotion, but were nevertheless elevated to the rank of ACGs on the basis of the said special promotion.

While insiders sources explained that a special promotion is not tied to a general promotion exercise, noting that should such happen, it is not supposed to conflict with the available vacant positions for which the promotion exercise was preplanned and designed to fill.

The beneficiaries of the special promotion are Claurice Ijeoma Nwadike, CIS to ACGI; Bagari Dauda Mohammed, CIS to ACGI; Olaiya Titilayo Opeyemi, DCI to ACGI; Nene Orupabo, DCI to CIS; and Abdulramhman Ahmed, ACI to DCI.

Findings also revealed that even though some of the comptrollers left out passed the examination, there are claims that the names of the five officers given special promotion were used to substitute their superiors who wrote the examination.

It is instructive that some of the lucky DCs were frog leaped over two ranks of eight years aggregate, figuratively jumping the deputy comptroller and comptroller ranks, respectively.

Most confounding is the reality that one of the newly promoted ACG has just gotten her DC rank, and without completing the statutory period for her new deputy comptroller rank, moved two steps to the rank of an ACG.

It is not only sad that this level of injustice is finding space in an intellectually driven institution as the NIS, the service pundits say has merely succeeded in demoralizing and killing the self confidence of the sidelined officers and others, systematically often schemed out of promotion.

Meanwhile there are reports of disenchantment and quiet murmuring in some quarters, even as officers condemned the pattern of the special promotion; they believe were at variance with fairness and justice.

Sources at the Service’s Kano Passport Office, Port Harcourt, Festac Town and Ikoyi passport offices alleged that that the spate of untidiness in the system is not unconnected to both internal rot and interferences from without; as fingers also pointed at the Office of the Secretary of the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Service Board (CDCFIB).

Whilst enforcing the new culture of questionable and reckless promotion exercise, the leadership of the NIS it would seem, have attempted to present a professional, edifying, and morally straight face; but which nonetheless, amounts to a conflict of probity and misrepresentation of the true state of affairs.

Above can be adduced from Nandap’s address during the decoration ceremony last Friday, when she philosophized about institutional ideals.

CGI Kemi Nanna  Nandap described the exercise as massive, even as she thank the presidency and supervising minister of the ministry of interior for providing the NIS  the opportunity and enablement to engage in regular promotion exercise; which according to her will ensure career progression, efficiency and satisfaction.

She said, “This mass promotion, unprecedented in scope and impact, sends a powerful message about our commitment to rewarding excellence, fostering growth, and building a Service that is not only motivated but also equipped to meet the demands of a modern and complex world.

“This promotion must be seen as a call to greater responsibility. With a renewed focus on border governance, migration management, and the application of cutting-edge technology in our operations, we are determined to create a Service that is responsive to the needs of Nigeria in the 21st century.

“Therefore, the Nation and Service in particular places greater trust in your capabilities and as such, you must redouble your efforts to face complex challenges.

“Your leadership experience and managerial skills; integrity and strategic thinking will be essential in your new responsibilities to reposition the NIS as a key player in the security architecture of our country.

“The NIS, and indeed the nation, looks to you for leadership in critical areas such as securing our borders, enhancing migration control, and maintaining the integrity of our immigration processes”, she stated.

Also speaking, Secretary of the Board, Alhaji Ja’afaru Ahmed said the era of stagnation in the services is gone and urged officers and men to reciprocate government’s gesture by rededicating themselves to country and service.

Analysts believe that some regimented institutions have begun to frown at the administration of certain special promotions; especially those that they think impede the moral balance of personnel stability, fair play, career progression and public service protection.

Perhaps this is the reason the Police Commission recently kicked against special promotion that are considered irregular, saying such will no longer be admissible and allowed in the police force. The police commission believes that while the internal reward system should not undermine personnel feelings, promotion should be based on progression, from rank to rank.

Pinnacle Time learnt that the military also rarely engage in special promotion that immediately undermines the tradition of seniority.

The Punch newspaper on 4th September 2024, reporting the position of the police service commission said that the Police Service Commission announced the abolition of special promotions in the Nigeria Police Force.  The Chairman of the Commission, DIG Hashimu Argungu (Rtd.), made the announcement, on Tuesday, when he received in the audience a delegation of members of the executive of the Association of Retired Police Officers of Nigeria in Abuja.

According to the Punch report, PSC Head of Press and Public Relations, Ikechukwu Ani, quoted Argungu as vowing that the commission would no longer be a rubber stamp for irregular means of promotion in the Nigeria Police Force.

“The Chairman of the Police Service Commission has announced that special promotions are henceforth abolished in the Nigeria Police Force.”