BY VICTOR BUORO, ABUJA – The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) says no amount of cheap blackmail and hostile publicity will distract it from delivering on the statutory mandate of addressing the operational challenges of modern migration.
This declaration is against the backdrop of some hateful postings on the social media about the recent promotion exercise in the Service.
The NIS Public Relations Officer, Deputy Comptroller of Immigration, Abraham James said the Service is too focused and cannot be troubled by what he described as the ‘figment of such authors’ imagination’.
In a media chat at the NIS headquarters on Wednesday, Mr James said that despite all odds, the management remains committed to a Service whose new sense of direction will make it relevant at all times to the world security order and global trend.
Specifically addressing the issue of recent promotion in the Service, the spokesperson said; “about the last promotion exercise that was released recently, all you have read on the social media have no atom of truth accusing the Comptroller General, Mohammed Babandede, of Islamising the service by denying qualified officers except they are Muslims and northerners.”
Displaying the list of newly promoted staff comprising those that aspired to the post of Assistant Comptroller Generals of Immigration, James stated that 23 officers were promoted to the prestigious rank.
According to him, among the promoted officers, 13 are Christians while 10 are Muslims, with nine of them women as against 14 men.
Giving further breakdown of the figures, the NIS spokesman explained that of the nine women promoted, eight of them are Christians with only one Muslim woman whose name is Mrs Salamatu Mohammed.
Similarly, the image maker said by geographical spread, 12 of the 23 officers are from the south while 11 are from the north, adding; “I must also state the fact that all these sectional interests were not even put into consideration when the promotion was being undertaken. The promotion was done strictly on merit. I also got promoted myself yet I am a Christian from the south.”
On the likely source of hostile social media publications, Mr James said since his appointment as the Comptroller General, Mohammed Babandede has not relented in ensuring that officers become more responsive to the general public, noting that; “Many officers have been sanctioned either for dereliction of duty; taking bribe, or not living up to expectation. Regrettably, many of these bad eggs are those who have now designed ways and means of publishing so many untruths about the service.”
Challenging the media to independently assess the current state of things within the service, Mr James said; “I wish you can do an independent survey of officers and men in the service to verify all I have told you. Our staffers are happier today than before the coming of this Comptroller General. Members of the public, who now have contacts with our men, would readily have kind words to say about the Service.”
“We are reforming and fighting corruption to a standstill. The victims of the reforms are the ones undermining the system”, the NIS spokesman said.
