A coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) under the aegis of League of Nigerians in Diaspora (LOND) has written to the 10th National Assembly led by the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio to remove the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) from the Ministry of Interior and establish the Nigeria Immigration Service Commission to regulate, monitor and promote discipline and efficiency in the service.
According to the CSO, despite the efforts by the personnel of the Nigeria Immigration Service to give their best in the last 60 years since it’s establishment in 1963, the years of being under the Ministry of Interior has rubbed off on the much desired professionalism, discipline and cohesion in policies and implementation.
The Civil Society Organisation led by League of Nigerians in Diaspora (LOND) and presided over by Comrade Yusuf Lawani, argued that establishment of a Nigeria Immigration Service Commission will eradicate the political bottlenecks witness in the issuance of passport policies, promote professionalism, Discipline and foster unity among the personnel in the service.
The group argued that after a review of the activities of the NIS in the last six years and the recent anomaly noticed in the ascension of the Acting-Comptroller General and other Comptrollers in various states due to lack of discipline, “there is the need for an Immigration Service Commission to monitor and maintain proper succession according to grades and ranks in service, Instead, the Ministry of Interior usurping the integrity of the NIS personnel and turn the tradition of succession according to the NIS Act of 2015 into a political patronage.”
The group alleged that the role played by the Ministry of Interior during the recent desperate extension of her service as Comptroller General for three months, the last minute appointment of Caroline Wuraola Adepoju as the Acting Comptroller General of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) by the former Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola showed an open display of malice to professionalism, a slap on the service, a bad precedence and a show of executive irresponsibility.
“If the Nigerian Immigration Service is established and manned by experienced NIS retirees, the exalted position Nigeria Immigration Service as a vital component of the National Security Architecture will be maintained and the retirement status of 35 years in service will be maintained and issues of proper promotion, discipline, cases of unlawful and insubordination will be a thing of the past. Performance and discipline will be imbibed in the personnel among the ranks.”.
“In the Immigration Act, 2015, Article 8 section 3(1) states that upon retirement of the Comptroller-General, the President shall appoint from among serving officers of the service on recommendation of the board. But the NIS is being rubbished by the fact that a Deputy Comptroller General that her service expired on the 31 st of May, 2023 was appointed by Rauf Aregbesola.”in a blizzard manner backdating the I’ll conceived appointment to the 26th May,2023 which was done without a presidential approval.
“The Immigration Service Commission if established will promote the beauty of any uniform service with proper career progression, promotion of officers as at when due, alongside their course mates, colleagues and peers, not selective, discriminatory, hand picking of officers, merits no longer counts, dignity of labour and value for experience no longer prevail, hence a junior will catch up with his or her superior or senior and no more complements or respect, the Nigeria Immigration Service as a regimented service is being disrupted, distorted and disoriented, officers are no longer feeling safe nor comfortable with the job security”
