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Disquiet in NIS as CDCFIB promotes retired ACG to DCG

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Disquiet in NIS as CDCFIB promotes retired ACG to DCG

By: Michael Mike

The promotion of Assistant Comptroller General of Immigration, Garba Bello, who retired in June, to Deputy Comptroller of Immigration, is causing disquiet in the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS).

Many senior officers, who were overlooked in the recent promotion exercise, faulted Bello’s promotion as illegal and vowed to petition President Bola Tinubu over his recall from retirement.

Bello with NIS number 10892, was born on June 3, 1964, enlisted in the service in 1990 and retired on June 3, 2024, having clocked 60 years.

This was in line with the Public Service Rules, which pegged the mandatory retirement age at 60 or 35 years in service, as the case may be.

As part of his retirement, the service management held a send-forth ceremony for the former ACG in charge of investigation at the NIS headquarters in Abuja.

However, in what appeared to be a violation of the Public Service Rules, the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board listed Bello as one of the ACGs elevated to DCG.

Apart from Bello, other promoted ACGs include Anietum Essien, Umanah James, Micheal Dike, George Dikel, Tukur Umar, Afolayan Ayeni and Usman Nagado.

A letter with reference number, NIS/HQADM/4193/II/204 dated August 2, 2024, announced that Bello and seven others would be decorated with their DCG rank on Wednesday at the NIS headquarters.

The letter, titled, ‘Decoration of newly appointed Deputy Comptrollers General of Immigration,’ was signed by ACG Didel, on behalf of the Comptroller General of Immigration (CGI) Kemi Nandap.

It read, ‘’Further to letter ref: CDCFIB/APPT/CG&DCG/61/VOL.V/59 of July 29, 2024, on the forwarded list of newly appointed Deputy Comptrollers General of Immigration, I am directed to request your presence at the decoration ceremony of the under-listed senior officers scheduled to hold as follows:

‘’Date: Wednesday, 7th August, 2024; Venue: Muhammad Babandede Conference Centre, Service Headquarters, Abuja. Time: 11am prompt. Accord top priority, please.

It was further gathered that some junior officers were promoted over their seniors in the promotion exercise.

A look at the seniority list indicates that Didel, Umar and Ayeni were elevated above ACGs Sadiq Adebowale and Ngozi Odikpo, who are their senior in service.

While Didel, Umar and Ayeni were promoted to ACG in January 2023, Adebowale and Odikpo had been on the ACG rank since January 2022.

Commenting on Bello’s recall, a senior officer, who did not want to be named for security reasons, said, ‘’The Supreme Court had held that once a civil servant has retired, his employment with the government ends and he cannot be re-appointed or promoted within the civil service. Any subsequent engagement is treated as a new contract.

‘’In Federal Civil Service Commission vs Laoye, the court reiterated that promotions are part of career progression within active service and cannot apply to someone who has retired. So, the board cannot justify this illegality.’’

When asked why Bello was recalled from retirement and promoted, the NIS spokesman, Kenneth Udo, simply said, ‘’Because he wrote the (promotion) exams.’’

Asked to justify the decision, he said, ‘’But I am not part of the process. We have a board that handles promotion and the minister is the chairman. So, this enquiry should be directed to them.’’

But the Secretary to the CDCFIB, Ja’afaru Ahmed, could not be reached for comment on Monday as calls to his phone indicated it was unavailable. He had yet to respond to a text message seeking his comment on Bello’s recall and promotion.

Disquiet in NIS as CDCFIB promotes retired ACG to DCG

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Nigerian Workers Abandoned in CAR Get Succour at Nigerian Embassy

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Nigerian Workers Abandoned in CAR Get Succour at Nigerian Embassy
…Reps Committee Begins Probe of Incident

By: Michael Mike

The stranded Nigerians in Central Africa Republic CAR have finally arrived at the Nigerian Embassy in Bangui.

It will be recalled that through a viral video, some Nigerian miners called for help, which elicited immediate intervention from officials of the Nigerian Embassy and CAR security who accompanied them from their location to the capital.

The journey to Bangui took a number of days with the Nigerians, alleged victims of a Chinese National and a Nigerian agent who hired them for work in that country and abandoned them there without paying their renumeration for 11 months,

A statement on Wednesday by the spokesman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Abdur-Rahman Balogun said obviously traumatised, weak and distressed, they (the stranded Nigerians) had called for help to be rescued.

He said: “They are now in the safe hands of officials of the Nigerian Embassy who will arrange their return back home.”

He added that: “They expressed gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu , the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and staff of both countries , the Nigerian Embassy, the CAR Security agencies and Nigerians who shared their stories.

“The agent who lured them into the job scam, is currently based in Nigeria and has been identified and is expected to be prosecuted .”

Meanwhile, the House of Representatives Committee on China-Nigeria Parliamentary Relations has launched a thorough investigation into a viral video depicting some Nigerians in the Central African Republic (CAR) alleging abandonment and passport seizure by a Nigerian businessman, purportedly linked to a Chinese company.

A statement released to the press and signed by the committee’s Chairman, Hon. Jaafaru Yakubu, assured that a thorough investigation will be conducted to uncover the truth behind the allegations.

The statement read: The Committee regrets the unfortunate situation the Nigerian workers are being subjected to in CAR and assures that a comprehensive investigation is currently ongoing to unravel the circumstances that led to their ordeal.”

The Committee clarified that Abdulrauf Ademola, the businessman accused in the video, has refuted the allegations of passport seizure, unpaid salaries, and abandonment. It further stressed that Ademola is not affiliated with the Chinese Embassy or the China General Chamber of Commerce.

It added that: “His (Ademola’s) actions or inactions should not be linked to the embassy or Chinese enterprises doing their legitimate businesses in Nigeria.”

The committee stated that China-Nigeria relations have flourished over time, yielding significant results across key sectors, including trade, investment, infrastructure, technology, human capital development, and people-to-people partnerships.

It urged the media and the public to report on China-Nigeria relations in a fair, balanced, and truthful manner, reflecting the mutual solidarity between the two nations.
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Odumegwu-Ojukwu in Ghana to Douse Ongoing Tension

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Odumegwu-Ojukwu in Ghana to Douse Ongoing Tension
…Insists Nigeria Remains Committed to Better Nigeria-Ghana Relations

By: Michael Mike

Nigeria has finally began the move to douse the ongoing tension with Ghana over the growing agitation by Ghanaians that Nigerians should leave their country, as the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu
reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to maintaining robust relations with Ghana during a visit.

The Minister also said the relationship would not stop at government level but extend to citizen-to-citizen level.

Odumegwu-Ojukwu made this known on Wednesday during her ongoing two-day visit to the West African country.

According to a statement by the spokesman to the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Dr. Magnus Eze, his principal is in Ghana to address the situation of Nigeria-Ghana citizens’ relations and meet with relevant stakeholders at both ends including the President of Ghana, the country’s Foreign Minister, traditional rulers and Nigerians resident in the country, to ensure that the life, property and businesses of Nigeria and Nigerians living in Ghana are safe and protected.

Eze said: “As part of the engagements for the minister, a few minutes after touching down at Kotoka Accra International Airport, Ghana on Tuesday evening, she had a quick interface with the Inspector General of Police Ghana, Christian Tetteh Yohuno, who was on his way to London, United Kingdom.”

He disclosed that Odumegwu-Ojukwu continued similar engagements on Wednesday with Ghanian officials and leaders of the Nigeria community.

She is expected back to Abuja on Thursday.

Odumegwu-Ojukwu in Ghana to Douse Ongoing Tension

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Tinubu Appoints Adeyemi as New CG, Federal Fire Service

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Tinubu Appoints Adeyemi as New CG, Federal Fire Service

By: Michael Mike

President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of DCG Olumode Samuel Adeyemi as the new substantive Controller-General of the Federal Fire Service (FFS) with effect from 14th August, 2025.

The appointment was announced in a statement by the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board (CDCFIB), signed by its secretary, Abdulmalik Jibrin.

The statement read: “This appointment follows the imminent retirement of the current Controller-General, Engr. Abdulganiyu Jaji Olola, on 1th August, 2025, upon attaining the age of sixty.

“DCG Olumode Samuel Adeyemi brings a wealth of experience to his new role, having transferred his service from the FCT Fire Service to the Federal Fire Service and grown to the rank of Deputy Controller-General of Fire in the Human Resource Directorate of the Service Headquarters.

“In the course of his career, the Officer has attended and passed all mandatory In-Service trainings, command course as well as other courses within and outside the country.

“He has served in various capacities and is equally a member/fellow of the following professional associations including Association of National Accountants of Nigeria (ANAN), Institute of Corporate Administration of Nigeria, Institute of Public Administration of Nigeria and Chartered Institute of Treasury Management of Nigeria.

“The Board extends its appreciation to the retiring Controller-General, Engr. Abdulganiyu Jaji Olola for his remarkable contributions to the development of the Federal Fire Service while also acknowledging his dedication and commitment to the service, and the numerous initiatives he spearheaded during his period of service.”

Tinubu Appoints Adeyemi as New CG, Federal Fire Service

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