Aterse memo with reference No HMI/002/Vol 1/484, titled Notification of Retirement addressed to the Comptroller General, Nigeria Immigration Service received
on 18 May 2016 for the CG, signed by the Abdulrahaman B. Dambazau, Lieutenant General
(Rtd), Honourable Minister of Interior. terminated the headship of Nigeria’s frontier guards,
The memo which which read, “I write to notify you that the last day of your service in the
Nigeria Immigration Service has lapsed on Sunday, 15 May 2016 in accordance with the extension granted you vide PRES/92/ INTR/7 dated 4 March 2016.
Consequently you are to handover to DCG Mohammed Babadede (NIS/4817 as the Ag. Comptroller General of Immigration effective immediately.)”,
Harmless as the memo may read, , insiders at the Service
and the Ministry of Interior said this un ceremonial retirement might not be unconnected to
several reports of nepotism, his unanswered query of 12th December 2011 when he was an
Assistant Comptroller General copied to the Directorate of Investigation, Intelligence and Enforcement signed by R. B Musa Deputy Comptroller General (Admin) for Comptroller General and, other sundry misgivings going on in there.
The query read “The Comptroller General of Nigeria Immigration Service has noticed with dismay, that your conduct, during your tenure as Commandant of Immigration Training School, Kano (ITSK) was unsatisfactory in the following respects: General Indiscipline in the School,. Various forms of Extortion, Brutal Punishments and Un-Ethical Relationship among Lecturers and Trainees”, adding that the hammer fell on him as a way to reposition the Service in line with the change mantra of the present government.
Retired CG Abeshi whose date of birth and educational credentials according to documents made available to nationalTRAIL were confusing, also was battling with some contract scandals during his days as DCG (Procurement and Logistics), under the suspended former CG Paradang which warranted a publication in the New Telegraph of Monday August 31, 2015 titled “How Corruption, Indiscipline thrive Under Paradang, By Moro”, the then Minister as well as another petition to the Deputy Inspector General of Police, Department of Criminal Investigation, FCID, Area 10 Garki Abuja tagged “Re: Corruption Stinks Under The Present Comptroller General of Nigeria Immigration Service – A Case in Point is the Fraudulent Execution of Official Quarter at No. 1 Air Border Patrol Camp Old Airport , Kawo” made by the former Special Assistant to Former Hon. Minister of Interior, Mr. Ime Unaowo Nta, then a Chief Superintendent of Immigration and, now an Assistant Comptroller.
nationalTRAIL gathered that investigation into a memo emanating from the Office of Deputy Inspector General of Police now the IGP, dated 15th January, 2015 with ref. No. CR: 3000/X/FHQ/ABJ/VOL.178/32 addressed to the then Comptroller General of Nigeria Immigration Service titled “Investigation Activities, Letter of Invitation”, was stalled by his successor.
Meanwhile, while the Nigeria Immigration Service were trying to grapple with the secret and shrouded recent recruitment exercise conducted by the former CG Mr. Martin Abeshi led-Service, hitherto referred to as “replacement exercise” which Immigration watchers tagged, “slots for a tiny cabal of Immigration officers and the ministry of Interior”, the Comptroller-General, Mr. Abeshi on 15th April, 2016, dropped yet another bomb shell, which some short changed staff of both the Service and the Ministry say is “the most shameful and embarrassing foreign posting ever in the history of the Service policy”.
A document exclusively made available to nationalTRAIL which was signed by Comptroller-General Martin Abeshi on 15th April, 2016 titled, “Foreign Posting Order” has a total of forty eight officers of various ranks ranging from Inspector to Deputy Comptroller of Immigration who have god fathers as Abraham benefiting.
A breakdown of the postings according to the memo shows that forty eight officers are posted to serve as Immigration attachés’ in our foreign missions as follows.Australia-Canberra (HCFRN)-2, China-Beijing (EFRN)-3, Germany-Berlin (EFRN)-3, India-New Delhi (HCFRN)-4, Italy-Rome (EFRN)-3, Ireland-Dublin (EFRN)-3, Malaysia-Kuala Lumpur (HCFRN)-2 and Saudi Arabia-Jeddah (CGFRN)-3.
Others are South Africa- Johannesburg (CGFRN)-1, South Africa-Pretoria (HCFRN)-1, Spain-Madrid (EFRN)-4, UK-London (HCFRN)-5, USA-Atlanta (CGFRN)-3, USA-New York (CGFRN)-4, USA-Washington DC (EFRN)-3, Brazil-Brasilia (EFRN)-2 and Jamaica-Kingston (HCFRN)-2.
A woman officer, who spoke to nationalTRAIL on behalf of her colleagues that pleads for anonymity for fear of the unknown, pointed out some fundamental issues why they believe that the posting is not only a sham but a 419 or one chance posting. She narrated that the said posting did not reflect the usual federal character or the change mantra of the President Muhammadu Buhari led-administration.
The concerned officer and some Interior ministry staff alleged that about five newly recruited officers who have no practical and professional knowledge of Immigration duties are among those posted to represent the Service in the “Foreign Missions Posting Order”.
They maintained that most of the officers are relatives of top management staff. For instance they continued “The former CG used his position to field his own people in the said foreign without any recourse to the federal character policy.
The aggrieved officers however, admitted that there are also few credible, professional and competent officers in the said list that deserve the foreign posting”. The concerned staff wondered, “If this was how the Hon. Minister of Interior handled the Army when he was the Chief of Army Staff”, because according to them, “With a short period of his supervisory role, the agencies under his supervision are enmeshed with recruitment and promotion racketeering among others and this seems not to be too good for the image of the government in power”.
They argued that both the Foreign Affairs staffs as well as the Army personnel on attaché assignments abroad are always sent on professional competence, experience and length of service. They said, “It is high time the President directs the National Security Adviser and the Hon. Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice to urgently investigate all the crises that have not only bedeviled the agencies under the Hon. Minister of Interior, but the role played by the Ministry in either stemming the tide or using subtle approach to support unholy acts”.
When contacted on 14th May, 2016 at about 12.15pm, the Director of Press in the Min9istry of Interior, Mr. William Bassey denied any knowledge of the Foreign Posting Order. According to him, “No information to that effect came to my table; you can better find out the true position from my colleague the PRO, Mr. King Ekpedeme in the Service”.
At exactly 12.25pm when the Service PRO Mr. King Ekpedeme’s consent was sort, he in summary told nationalTRAIL that none that made the posting was recruited in less than 2011 and that the present posting is better than the previous year in geographical spread. He said, “There is no special thing in the exercise many are criticizing. It is like the normal postings such as to the air and sea ports as well as the land borders and so on. Again, having someone bearing the same with the CG or DCG doesn’t mean that that person is their son but a coincidence by name”, Ekpedeme explained.
However, unconfirmed list on another petition dated 6th May, 2016, titled “Corruption, Bribery and Nepotism, Marred the recent Foreign Posting Order released at Nigeria Immigration Service Headquarters” signed by DCI Julius Adejo NIS/7301 and CSI Adamu Garba Yunusa NIS/23620 to President Muhammadu Buhari and copied to the Ministers of Interior, Foreign Affairs, CG Immigration, DG, DSS, SGF, Perm Sec Interior, Senate Committee on Interior and House Committee on Interior describe the foreign posting as lopsided The petition read, “We are compelled to bring to your notice some act of nepotism and sectionalism which is greatly retarding the growth and progress of the NIS due to the influence of some highly placed individuals in the ministry of Interior and the Service.
In conclusion the petitioners state, “We wish therefore to implore the President and Commander-in-Chief, President Muhammadu Buhari in the spirit of his change mantra of fighting corruption, ineptitude and waste in governance to swiftly and resolutely investigate this attitude and avoid this foreseeable waste of scare resources on the people who will definitely dent the image of the country which is gradually recovering from the years of bad image”.
nationalTRAIL checks reveal that at least three former ministers of Interior and five former Comptrollers-General of Immigration including the immediate-past CG Paradang now on suspension were unceremoniously removed from office due to one form of scandal or the other.
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