The Federal Government has yielded to pressure and has asked the Acting Comptroller-General (CG) of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Isah Jere Idris to proceed on retirement with immediate effect.
Jere has accordingly been directed to hand over the duties and responsibilities of his office to the most senior officer in the Service, pending the appointment of a substantive CG of Immigration.
The directive came following allegations in some quarters that the outgoing NIS boss was plotting another tenure extension.
Recall that Jere has had his retirement extended from last year to April 24, 2023.
It was gathered that some officers of the Service had threatened to embark on a protest should the federal government extend the tenure of the Comptroller-General again after the ongoing one year extension he was given expires on April 24.
Reacting to the development through a memo issued by the Civil Defense, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board, dated 17th of April, 2023, and addressed to the NIS boss, the federal government directed him to “hand over to the most senior Officer Deputy Comptroller General on or before Monday 24th April, 2023, pending Mr. President’s appointment of a substantive Comptroller General of the Service.
The memo, dated April 17, 2023 with code number CDCFIB/APPT.CG&DCG/61/VOL.IV/74 was signed by the secretary to the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board, Obasi Edozie Edmond, on the orders of the Board chairman, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, who is the Minister of Interior.
Idris was appointed in acting capacity just before his retirement in April 2022 but got his tenure for one year ahead of its expiration. The extended tenure would automatically elapse on April 24, 2023.