Immigration, ministry on war path over recruitment, others

[Mirror]

There is disquiet in the Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS, over ongoing recruitment, promotion and posting allegedly carried out by the supervising Interior Ministry.

The ministry has been accused of not carrying along the leadership of the service in exercises.

This, sources close to the service said, did not go down well with the Comptroller General of Immigration, Mr. David Parradang, who felt he was not being carried along in activities directly affecting the service.

But the Minister of Interior, Mr. Abba Moro, denied interfering in the activities of the service, saying that everybody was being carried along in the daily operations in the Immigration. Moro, who spoke through his Special Assistant, Media, Mr. George Udo, insisted that the ministry did not handle recruitment, posting and promotion for the service, saying that a board was responsible for the exercises.

However, a source close to the service told our correspondent over the weekend that all was not well in the service as some of the workers too were aggrieved by the advertised recruitment exercise.

For instance, the source said the recruitment exercise announced by the ministry was strange to the service including Parradang who felt as the comptroller general, he was supposed to be involved.

Besides, the source alleged that since the minister came onboard, he had refused to inaugurate the Board of Directors in the service, adding that those due for promotion too were not promoted.

The source accused the minister of interfering in the posting of workers for the service, alleging that those promoted were those who were close to the minister.

He said: "It is unfortunate that things have been personalised in the service. For you to be promoted now, you must know somebody that is close to the minister. This before now used to be on merit, but since the minister came on board, the system has since changed.

"Also, the recent announcement of recruitment exercise for the service did not have the input of the leadership of the service. We only read it on the pages of newspapers just like other people in the country.

"Besides, the minister wants to interfere in everything that goes on the service including posting of personnel. For instance, both internal and external postings must pass through him. The Comptroller General cannot do anything in the system and this is someone that is supposed to be a professional in the system.

"There is a huge quarrel in the system for those who will be posted. The minister wants some particular set of people in strategic postings, which did not go down well with the leadership of the service."

But Udo said that none of the allegations was true.

The minister's aide said a board set up in line with the Act establishing NIS was responsible for the recent exercise.

Speaking on phone with our correspondent, Udo said the board was necessary in order to ensure transparency, equity and justice, stressing that those accusing the ministry were economical with the truth.

He said: "There is nothing like that. There is a board that supervises recruitment, promotion and posting. There is a board that handles that. The ministry does not handle recruitment, posting or even promotions.

Source: Immigration, ministry on war path over recruitment, others

[Folami David]

Anything WAR is what I don't want to hear at all. Such things should not even attempt to go on now ...