National News
Senior NIS Officers Wait on Tinubu for Retirement of Comptroller General
Senior NIS Officers Wait on Tinubu for Retirement of Comptroller General
By: Michael Mike
There is uneasy calm at the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) as officers of the Service wait on President Bola Tinubu’s directive to either extend the tenure of the Comptroller General, Kemi Nandap who was due to retire on October 10,2024 or appoint a new head.
Nandap was due to retire on October 10, 2024, having served 35 years in service.
This is according to documents obtained by our correspondent, which contain details of all officers in the service’s Comptroller cadre based on seniority.
Nandap’s statutory retirement is based on her Date of First Appointment, which falls on October 10, 1989. This marks the completion of her civil service term in line with public service rules, which peg the mandatory retirement age at 60 or 35 years in service, whichever comes first.
President Bola Tinubu appointed Nandap as CG of the Service on February 21, 2024. However, her appointment took effect from March 1, 2024, according to a statement by then-Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Ajuri Ngelale.
“The President anticipates that the new Comptroller-General will deepen the ongoing reforms in the service and create a robust mechanism for efficient and dedicated service delivery to Nigerians, as well as strengthen the nation’s security through proactive and effective border security and migration management,” the statement read.
Nandap, with NIS number 9702, succeeded Mrs. Caroline Wura-Ola Adepoju, whose term in office elapsed on February 29, 2024, having turned 60. Before her appointment, she was the Deputy Comptroller-General in charge of the service’s Migration Directorate.
However, the official document obtained showed that Nandap, born on June 3, 1966, was employed in the Service on October 10, 1989, and clocked retirement on October 10, 2024.
This was not the first time this type of infractions is happening in the NIS with one of such occurring in August, when there was disquiet in the Service over the promotion of an Assistant Comptroller General of Immigration, Garba Bello, who retired in June, to Deputy Comptroller of Immigration.
Senior officers who were not promoted in the exercise faulted Bello’s promotion and promised to petition President Tinubu over his recall from retirement.
Bello was born on June 3, 1964, enlisted in the service in 1990 and retired on June 3, 2024, having clocked 60 years.
As part of his retirement, the service management held a send-off for the former ACG in charge of investigation at the NIS headquarters in Abuja.
However, the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board listed Bello as one of the ACGs elevated to DCG.
Other promoted ACGs besides Bello include Anietum Essien, Umanah James, Michael Dike, George Dikel, Tukur Umar, Afolayan Ayeni, and Usman Nagado.
A letter dated August 2, 2024, with the reference number NIS/HQADM/4193/II/204, announced that Bello and seven others were decorated that month.
In another letter dated September 23, the Board granted ‘Special Promotion’ to Mrs. Claris Nwadike, with Service number 9696.
It recommended that Claris and four others be promoted from Comptroller to Assistant Comptroller-General. She retired on October 10, 2024, just six days after her decoration.
The letter, with reference number CDCFIB/S.33/VOL.IV/57 was signed by Ja’afaru Ahmed, the Board’s secretary.
It read, “I write to forward herewith the list of officers granted Special Promotion under the Year 2024 Promotion Exercise.”
A source who spoke to our correspondent on condition of anonymity said only the board chairman, i.e. the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, possesses the powers to recommend a new candidate to the President for the position of Comptroller-General.
“The Minister of Interior chairs the board, and only he can recommend a new candidate when a CG retires,” the source explained.
In the past, former president Muhammadu Buhari twice extended the tenure of erstwhile immigration chief Jere Idris by one year and then, later, one month.
It would not be a surprise if NANDAP is not asked to retire from the service which may put a nail on the carrier progression of some senior officers.
Senior NIS Officers Wait on Tinubu for Retirement of Comptroller General
NAF airstrikes neutralise bandit hideout in Chikun in Kaduna
By: Zagazola Makama
Nigerian Air Force (NAF) aircraft have carried out a precision strike on a notorious bandit hideout in Kunti, within Sohon Gaya community of Chikun Local Government Area, Kaduna State.
Zagazola learnt that the operation followed credible intelligence reports of heightened bandit activities in the axis, with the criminals reportedly wielding sophisticated weapons, including assault rifles and heavy-calibre arms.
Sources confirmed that at about 1200hrs, two NAF helicopters were sighted conducting the successful strike on the location, which had been a source of terror to the surrounding communities.
In the aftermath of the air interdiction, friendly ground troops arrived the target area in Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs) to secure the location, assess battle damage and mop up fleeing elements of the bandits.
The timely synergy between air and ground components ensured effective neutralisation of the threats while also restoring confidence among residents of Sohon Gaya community.
NAF airstrikes neutralise bandit hideout in Chikun in Kaduna
Hilda Baci Concludes GWR Jollof Rice Attempt, Awaits Confirmation
By Halima Abdulkadiri
Celebrity chef Hilda Baci on Saturday successfully wrapped up her ambitious bid to set a new Guinness World Record (GWR) for the largest pot of jollof rice.
The reports gathered that Baci cooked approximately 200 bags of rice in a massive 22,619-litre pot, which measured six metres in both width and height. The cooking process lasted about nine hours.
She now awaits official confirmation from Guinness World Records on whether her feat will be certified as a new world record.
Bold Strategy to Revolutionize Women’s Health Launched
By: Michael Mike
A bold, data-driven, tech-enabled, and financially intelligent strategy designed to revolutionize women’s health across Nigeria has been launched.
The project RenewHER (Renew Health Equity and Reform) is a Presidential Women’s Health Transformation Initiative, led by the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Women’s Health (OSSAP-WH) and championed by Dr. Adanna Steinacker.
The launching was held at the State House Banquet Hall, Abuja on Thursday evening with the Vice President Kashim Shettima representing President Bola Tinubu.
At the Gala, the Women’s Health Digital Media and Communications Hub, a national advocacy and story telling platform was unveiled, which is dedicated to amplifying women’s voices, spotlighting innovations, and driving conversations across six national priority areas: Maternal, Newborn and Child Health; Sexual and Reproductive Health; Adolescent Health and Menstrual Equity; Nutrition and Preventive Care; Healthcare Workforce and Access; and Coalition Building.
The evening also featured a Presidential Keynote Address, the premiere of the RenewHER campaign film, a cultural showcase, the Health Innovator Awards and a National Pledge Moment to mobilize long-term support for the initiative.
Speaking on the project, the SSA to the President on Women’s Health, Dr. Adanna Steinacker, said: “RenewHER is more than an initiative, it is a national call to action to redefine the future of women’s health and economic equity in Nigeria. Through the Women’s Health Nigeria Hub and Magazine, we a creating a movement that transforms policy, empowers communities, and inspires a new generation of champions for women’s health.”
Key strategic partners of the initiative include the Nigerian Governor’s Forum (NGF), the Nigerian Governors’ Spouses Forum (NGSF), the Maternal and Neonatal Mortality Reduction Innovation Initiative (MAMII), the Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH), and the Women in Healthcare Network (WIHCN), all supporting RenewHER to deliver measurable health outcomes, while creating economic opportunities for women through financial incentives, digital wallets, microgrants, skills training, and women-led health innovations.
Bold Strategy to Revolutionize Women’s Health Launched
NAF airstrikes neutralise bandit hideout in Chikun in Kaduna
Police arrest officer in Lagos over alleged N915,000 rice fraud
Addressing Security Concerns at UMTH: Clarifying Misunderstandings
Roger Federer’s Shock as DNA Results Reveal Myla and Charlene Are Not His Biological Children
THE PLIGHT OF FARIDA
POLICE CHARGE ROOMS, A MINTING PRESS
-
News2 years agoRoger Federer’s Shock as DNA Results Reveal Myla and Charlene Are Not His Biological Children
-
Opinions4 years ago
THE PLIGHT OF FARIDA
-
Opinions4 years ago
POLICE CHARGE ROOMS, A MINTING PRESS
-
News1 year agoEYN: Rev. Billi, Distortion of History, and The Living Tamarind Tree
-
Columns2 years agoArmy University Biu: There is certain interest, but certainly not from Borno.
-
ACADEMICS2 years agoA History of Biu” (2015) and The Lingering Bura-Pabir Question (1)
-
Opinions2 years agoTinubu,Shettima: The epidemic of economic, insecurity in Nigeria
-
News5 months agoFAILED COUP IN BURKINA FASO: HOW TRAORÉ NARROWLY ESCAPED ASSASSINATION PLOT AMID FOREIGN INTERFERENCE CLAIMS
