FG pays severance benefits to 885 disengaged NIS officers after 17-year wait
The federal government has finally paid the severance benefits of 885 Nigeria Immigration Services (NIS) officers who were disengaged from service in 2006/2007. This announcement was made by Dasuki Arabi, director-general of the Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR), during a news conference in Abuja on Friday.
Mr Arabi disclosed that the benefits were paid to all 885 officers who presented themselves for verification, out of the 1,330 disengaged from service. He noted that only 17 officers, who had been verified, could not be paid due to inconsistencies in their account details, a situation currently being addressed by a stakeholders’ committee.
“The NIS is one of over 250 federal parastatals affected by the severance policy of the 2006/2007 reform programme of the Federal Government across the Public Service,” Arabi explained. “In the course of the severance exercise, a total of 1,330 NIS officers in various cadres and grade levels were disengaged.”
Efforts to resolve the issue over the past 17 years have been hindered by numerous complaints, agitations, and petitions from the disengaged officers. Among the agitations was the demand to effect the salary scale of CONPASS instead of HAPSS, as was done for sister agencies like the Nigerian Customs Service and Nigerian Prisons Service.
Arabi praised the relentless efforts of BPSR and other stakeholders in finally resolving the problem. A verification exercise was conducted from November 27, 2023, across the six geopolitical zones, beginning in the South-West (Lagos Centre) and concluding in the North-Central (Abuja) on January 20, 2024.
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“This achievement serves as a beacon of hope for other parastatals and MDAs facing similar challenges. Let us continue to work together to address these issues and build a more just and equitable public service for all,” he said.
Arabi also mentioned difficulties in reaching some affected officers or their next of kin due to invalid records and changes in locations. However, he pledged that the commission is committed to ensuring that all disengaged officers or their next of kin receive their due benefits as soon as they present themselves for verification.
Ola Gbadamosi, national chairman of the National Association of Retired Immigration Officers, commended the federal government and Arabi for the successful payment to their members. Gbadamosi highlighted that the payment came at a time when many members had lost hope after several fruitless attempts to resolve the issue through other channels.
He also appealed to the commission to continue assisting those yet to receive their benefits and to ensure the harmonisation of salaries with sister services like Prisons and Customs.
Spouses of two late disengaged officers who have yet to receive payment after verification, Ayodele Tolulope and Promise Atuekwe, also urged the commission to expedite their payments. Mr Gbadamosi assured that names of members, including those in court and late officers with disputes among their beneficiaries, would be forwarded for payment once compromises are reached.
This move by the federal government marks a significant step in addressing long-standing grievances and restoring hope to affected officers and their families.
Proofreading, editing by Sakinat Musa Abubakar and Jamila Yunusa Suleiman, Editor and Sub- editor at Neptune Prime
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