Welcome, Guest: Register On Nairaland / LOGIN! / Trending / Recent / NewStats: 3,200,760 members, 7,975,885 topics. Date: Tuesday, 15 October 2024 at 02:46 PM |
Nairaland Forum / Nairaland / General / Politics / Promotion Fraud Rocks Immigration Service (2147 Views)
EXCLUSIVE: The Three Men Directing Nigerian Police Affairs…plus Promotion Fraud / Guber Poll: Voters’ Register Fraud Rocks Bayelsa / Promotion Fraud Rocks Immigration Service - Newsdirect Newspaper (2) (3) (4)
(1) (Reply)
Promotion Fraud Rocks Immigration Service by Elose11(m): 12:49pm On Jul 15, 2015 |
Impunity
On August 22, 2014, a
concerned Immigration officer
wrote an open letter to former
President Goodluck Jonathan
on what he called the
“unministerial conduct” of the
then Minister of Interior,
Comrade Patrick Abba Moro.
Copies of the letter were sent
to the then Senate President,
Senator David Mark, Senate
Committee on Interior and the
Head of Service of the
Federation.
The officer accused the former
Minister of abuse of office,
corruption and impunity.
It was equally alleged by the
concerned officer that junior
officers above their seniors
was the order of the day under
the Minister since he assumed
office in 2011.
Agencies under the Ministry of
Interior are Nigeria
Immigration Service (NIS),
Nigeria Prison Service (NPS),
Federal Fire Service (FFS) and
Nigeria Security and Civil
Defence Corps (NSCDC).
Allegations were also rife that
the sleaze and injustice in
Immigration led to a fight
between Moro and former
Comptroller General of
Immigration, Rose Chinyere
Uzoma, over staff recruitment
and that resulted in her ouster
on January 16, 2013.
She was succeeded by Rilwan
Bala Musa in an acting capacity
before the appointment of the
current CGI, David Shikfu
Parradang, on June 10, 2013.
Uzoma reportedly disagreed
with Moro over his alleged
penchant for staffing
Immigration with people from
his Idoma ethnic nationality in
Benue State.
The woman was said to have
complained to those close to
her that the powers-that-be
were literarily forcing her to
engage many people from a
particular ethnic nationality in
Immigration Service.
Prior to that time, it was
gathered that Comptrollers-
General were empowered to
recruit staff on Grade Levels
One to Seven. But after the
fight between Moro and
Uzoma, the right was
withdrawn and handed over to
the board and Head of Service
of the Federation.
Although the FFS, NSCDC, NIS
and NPS are under the control
of a board (Civil Defence, Fire,
Immigration, and Prisons
Services Board), which is
responsible for the
appointment and promotion of
staff, the role of the board was
alleged to have been eroded
by corruption and meddling
from higher quarters.
Buhari cancels special
promotion
In the face of these weighty
allegations, President
Muhammadu Buhari has
ordered the cancellation of
special promotion granted 30
officers of the NIS.
Those affected are 22 senior
officers and eight junior ones.
Patrick P. Moro, younger
brother to the immediate past
Minister is among the junior
officers who have been
ordered to revert to their
former ranks with immediate
effect.
Buhari had earlier ordered the
State Security Service (SSS) to
cancel the promotion exercise
it conducted for its staff in the
last days of the administration
of former President Goodluck
Jonathan, due to “observed
lapses.”
An SSS memo, signed by one,
Toma C. Minti and dated July
3, 2015, urged those that
benefitted from the exercise
“to revert to their former ranks
with immediate effect.”
A wide category of staff that
were “promoted, converted
and upgraded” by the exercise
would be affected.
“In view of the observed lapses
in the promotion exercise
released from March 31, 2015
to date, the President,
Commander-in-Chief of the
Armed Forces of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria has directed
its suspension forthwith. The
personnel affected include
those promoted, converted and
upgraded within the period
under review,” the memo said.
“The DGSS has constituted a
committee to handle the
review of all the cases,” it said,
urging its offices across the
country to disseminate the
information to all personnel.
The letter conveying the NIS
promotion dated May 27, 2015,
was signed by the Secretary of
the Civil Defence, Fire,
Immigration and Pensions
Services Board (CDFIPB) Alhaji
A.A. Ibrahim.
Ibrahim’s letter to the
Comptroller General of NIS,
David Parradang reads:
“Forwarding of the list and
respective letters of 22 names
of senior officers and eight
junior officers recommended
for special promotion. I am
directed to convey approval of
the CDFIB for the special
promotion of the under-listed
officers.
“In the exercise of your
delegated responsibility, you
are expected to conduct the
production and issuance of the
individual officers’ letter of
promotion. Please accept the
Board’s highest consideration
in this regard including our
hearty congratulations to the
affected officers”.
Those to lose ranks
According to investigations by
Nigerian NewsDirect, the
affected 22 senior officers
(Inspectorate Cadre) are:
James Sunday (ACI-DCI);
Momoh Aipon Brahim ((ACI-
DCI); Chidi Nwadiaro (ACI-DCI);
Isa Oddor Adamu (CSI-ACI);
Nuruddeen M.M. (SI-CSI);
Yelichini M. Wilberforce (DCII-
CII); Odimegwu Curtis Ernest
(ASCI-DSI); Dotun Aderibigbe
(CSI-ACI); Abdulrasheed Sheu
(CSI-ACI); Dike Chukwuemeka
Michael (ACI-DCI); Halima Umar
Usman (PII-ACII).
Others include Friday Akor
Etuka (ASI II –ASI I); Dallah
Yusuf (SII-PII); Attah Godwin
(SII-PII); Ali Matthew (II-SII);
Ameh Elechenu (SII-PII); Onah
Francis (SII-PII); Odah A.
Gabriel ((SII-PII); Eche Ejeh (SII-
PII); Oloja Francis (SII-PII);
Ngbede Isa (II-SII) and Vembe
Paul Aondona (II-SII).
The eight junior officers
(Assistant Cadre) who
benefitted from the
controversial exercise are:
Adamu Dalo (AII); Michael
Adegbe (CIA); Ukombe Marcus
(IA I); Kenneth Okoye (IA I);
Ekoja Simon (IA2); Patrick P.
Moro (IA I); Haruna Ngbede (IA
I) and Okobia Simon (IA I).
How CGI kicked against
promotion
A combination of dejection and
spirit of rebellion had pervaded
the air around the NIS over the
controversial mass promotion.
Scores of petitions were
forwarded to the board by
aggrieved staff demanding that
the exercise be cancelled.
Parradang also wrote against
the promotion, an exercise
which earned him a question
mark from the Permanent
Secretary.
Parradang had written a
protest letter to the CDFIPB,
arguing that the promotions
should be reversed because
they did not follow due
procedures.
Moro was Chairman of the
board until the end of last
administration on May 29,
2015.
Parradang’s protest letter to
the Director/Secretary, against
the promotion was written on
June 8.
The letter entitled Re: Release
of year 2014 senior officers
promotion results” reads: “I
wish to draw your kind
attention to the above subject
matter and to invite you to
recall that Mr. HY Malgwi
(Deputy Comptroller General –
HRM) represented me in most
of the meetings of the CDFIPB
preparatory to the release of
the results of the 2014 Senior
Officers promotion Exercise.
“However, I consider it
expedient to inform the CDFIPB
that available intelligence
coupled with a barrage of
complaints, with which my
office is being inundated,
indicate that majority of
officers and men of the Nigeria
Immigration Service are
disgruntled over the outcome
of the last promotion exercise,
particularly the ‘Special
Promotion’ in favour of 30
officers/men, conveyed vide
three letters, all with Reference
No. CDFIPB/FFS/SP/REQ/429/1
and dated 27th May, 2015.
“Although the Public Service
Rules do not make any specific
reference to the concept of
Special Promotion, the CDFIBB
Guidelines for Appointment,
Promotion and Discipline of
August, 2012 provides in
Paragraph ‘C’ of page 20 of the
document as follows: “SPECIAL
PROMOTION – A reward for
excellence – Promotion in the
Board shall be based on merit.
However, in deserving cases,
the Board in consultation with
the Services may identify and
offer special promotion to
officers who show commitment
and exceptional brilliance in the
discharge of their
responsibilities and
performance of duty in the
services.
“Paragraph 3 above
presupposes that no officer of
the NIS can be considered for
“special promotion” unless
there has been due
consultation between the
Board and the NIS, that such an
officer has been identified and
deserves to be so honoured for
exceptional performance of his
official duties. It can be safely
inferred that the identification
of such an officer may be by
way of letter of
recommendation from the
Comptroller General of
Immigration Service or even
any other authority/person
outside the NIS and the NIS
thereafter forwards the name
(s) of such officer(s) with the
particulars of the exceptional
performance of duty to justify
any deserved honour from the
CDFIPB in the magnitude of
“special promotion”.
“My attention has been drawn
to this position by officers who
are apparently aggrieved by
the development, especially as
it is being alleged that the
process was seemingly not
only laden with irregularities
but had encroached into the
2015 vacancies for promotion.
See Annex 1 and 11.
“It may be necessary to also
point out here that the
consternation being generated
by the outcomes of the last
promotion exercise, including
the special promotion cases,
may not be in our best interest,
as Officers/Men who carry arms
and charged with the
enormous and very sensitive
responsibility of securing our
borders, among other duties
which have direct bearing on
national security, should
ordinarily not be performing
such duties with low morale or
disaffection. Apart from
breeding gross indiscipline in a
uniform service like ours, which
operates on the bedrock of
seniority, such untoward
situation may also impact
negatively on our reinvigorated
efforts at ensuring effective
and efficient service delivery to
Nigerians and foreigners alike.
The multiplier effect of these
scenarios can be better
imagined.
“The essence of this letter
therefore, is to urge the CDFIPB
to convene a special meeting
with a view to critically looking
into the issues at stake and to
take necessary steps to
redeem the good image of the
Board and the hard-earned
integrity of its esteemed
members.
“While the above is for your
consideration and necessary
action, please accept as always
the renewed assurances of my
high regards and esteemed
consideration”.
Parradang restated his
opposition to the promotion
while speaking with Nigerian
NewsDirect in an exclusive
interview in his Abuja office on
June 17.
“I have seen that special
promotion, I will talk to you
very categorically about that.
The Act that establishes the
Immigration and Prisons
Services Board has specific
provisions for special
promotions and in special
promotions, there is a provision
in that Act and it is strictly on
recommendation by the
individual’s service and it must
have been a recommendation
from their act of gallantry or a
performance of a job that has
been done to warrant special
promotion. Those are the
procedures for special
promotions”, he explained.
A day after the publication,
Parradang incurred the wrath
of some powerful forces for
crying aloud against the
promotion.
Permanent Secretary squeals
on CGI
The Permanent Secretary,
Ministry of Interior, Abubakar
G. Magaji, questioned the CGI
over the interview.
In a June 29 memo with
reference number FMI/
PSO/020/T1/187, entitled “Re:
Immigration to annul Moro’s
special promotion”, the
Permanent Secretary said:
“My attention has been drawn
to a publication by the Nigerian
NewsDirect newspaper,
Vol.5.No.31, at front page and
page 11 of Monday June 29,
2015, with the above caption
(copy attached). In view of the
provisions of the Public Service
Rules on Publication and Public
Utterances, particularly PSR No.
030421 (i) (b) and (c) and PSR
No. 160601 under Application
of the Public Service Rule to
Federal Government
Parastatals, you are requested
to comment on the contents of
the Report. Please accept my
warm regards”.
Consequently, Parradang
fortified his action saying “I
hereby acknowledge the
receipt of your letter FMI/
PSO/020/T1/187 dated 29th
June on the above subject
matter and state as follows:
“That in line with the provisions
of Public Service Rules (PRS)
030421 (i) and Section 27 of
the Freedom of Information Act
(FOIA), I did grant interview to
the Executive Editor of
NewsDirect newspaper, one
Mr. Rotimi Durojaiye, a
fortnight ago on a variety of
issues.
“That in the course of the
conversation and in response
to his question on the
modalities used by the Civil
Defence, Immigration, Prisons
and Fire Services Board
(CDFIPB) in the last special
promotion, I told him that I
take exception to the exercise
because due procedures as
spelt out in Paragraph ‘C’ page
20 of the CDFIPB Guidelines for
Appointment and Discipline of
August 2012 were not followed.
“That never a time in the
conversation did I tell the
journalist that the NIS would
annul the said Special
promotion because I know that
the NIS does not have such
powers hence my protest letter
to the appropriate quarters. I
also told him that I protested
the exercise when it became
clear to me that due process
was not observed in the
nomination of the beneficiaries
of the said special promotion
because of my understanding
of the negative implications of
elevating subordinates far
above their superiors without
proven reasons. The
implications of such exercise
on discipline and general
motivation of the workforce in
the long run especially as a
Service under arms cannot be
over estimated.
“I hereby enclose the audio
device of the interview and full
publication of the same in the
NewsDirect newspaper for the
consideration of the Permanent
Secretary.
“Kindly accept as always, the
assurances of my high
regards”.
Furore over foreign postings
While the dust created by the
board headed by the former
Minister over the special
promotion is yet to settle, there
is also open talk of low morale
of NIS officers on foreign
missions.
About 75 percent of names of
officers on foreign missions are
said to have come from the
former Minister’s office.
Aggrieved officers are
therefore calling on President
Buhari to recall all officers of
the NIS who are in foreign
missions.
Nigerian NewsDirect learnt that
majority of the officers in
foreign missions are from a
section of Nigeria, with Benue
State having the lion’s share.
The officers who are said to be
paid allowances in hard
currencies also draw their
monthly salaries at home. They
are also entitled to free
accommodation wherever they
are posted to.
Benue state has 14 (about 32
percent) out of 93 officers
posted to 40 countries across
the world.
It is followed by Imo State with
nine officers, closely followed
by Plateau State which has
eight officers.
Kwara, Ebonyi, Anambra, Cross
River, Lagos, Ogun, Kano,
Jigawa and Niger States have
only one officer each in foreign
missions.
While Bauchi, Kogi and Rivers
States have five officers each,
Kaduna and Edo have four
officers each outside the
country.
Katsina, Osun, Zamfara and
Abia have three officers each
representing them in foreign
missions, while Bayelsa, Borno,
Kebbi, Oyo, Delta, Adamawa,
and Sokoto have only two
officers each.
The exercise had drawn
criticisms from other members
of the service who felt that
their states had been shut out.
But while defending the
postings during his interview
with Nigerian NewsDirect,
Parradang had stated that “the
criteria used in foreign posting
are the federal character
adopted all over the country
and we try to pick the best of
our officers to serve in
missions abroad”.
Many aggrieved officers are
seeking redress and are
insisting that the last days of
Moro be probed by the
administration of President
Buhari, especially concerning
promotions in the parastatals
under the Ministry of Interior.
The complaining officers who
produced copious documents
to establish the malpractices
urged President Buhari to come
to their rescue by instituting an
enquiry into the rushed
promotion exercise.
An officer added that “the
corruption in the board is
responsible for these
promotion scams. If you attend
an interview without following
it up at the board, you are sure
to lose out despite your score
in the promotion exam.
“The board is headed by a
Director/Secretary and is
answerable to the Minister of
Interior who is the Chairman.
But corruption and nepotism
climbed the wall during the last
board under the Minister.
“His style did not go down well
with many directors on the
board and the Permanent
Secretaries in the Ministry. But
he appeared to have the power
to remove them. In fact, he
removed up to four directors
and Permanent Secretaries
who opposed him. He was very
powerful”.
Various attempts to get the
side of the Director/Secretary
of the Board and Moro were
unsuccessful.
One of the former aides of
Moro who does not want his
name in print, said the
allegations of corruption and
nepotism against his ex-boss
were false, saying those
making the allegations should
come forward with evidence to
substantiate them.
He insisted that there was no
way “he could have
circumvented the rules guiding
appointments and promotions
in the agencies because they
are laid down”.
NIS Public Relations Officer,
Chukwuemeka Obua, an
Assistant Chief Inspector, said
he could not comment on any
of the issues “because my boss
has spoken”.
The dust raised by the board
and Moro hasn’t settled yet,
and it is not likely to settle
soon. |
Re: Promotion Fraud Rocks Immigration Service by Nobody: 12:50pm On Jul 15, 2015 |
Re: Promotion Fraud Rocks Immigration Service by AgbenuAnna(f): 12:51pm On Jul 15, 2015 |
money? |
(1) (Reply)
Saraki CCT : UPDATES!!! Chukwudi44 4: 3 Ngeneukwenu / Photo: Ben Bruce Shades VP Osinbajo Over 3 Million Jobs They Promised Nigerians / South-west Remains The Best...a Short Story Of My Tour From Abuja To PH/UYO
(Go Up)
Sections: politics (1) business autos (1) jobs (1) career education (1) romance computers phones travel sports fashion health religion celebs tv-movies music-radio literature webmasters programming techmarket Links: (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10) Nairaland - Copyright © 2005 - 2024 Oluwaseun Osewa. All rights reserved. See How To Advertise. 42 |