FG retires acting Comptroller-General of Immigration, Idris Jere
Story from Vivian DANIEL, Abuja
The Governing Board of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) on Wednesday, April 19th, 2023 served a retirement notice to the acting Comptroller-General of the Service, Isah Idris Jere, effective on or before April 24, 2023.
According to a secret memo sighted by The PUNCH, the board cited the expiration of the one-year extension of service granted by President Muhammadu Buhari and directed the CGI to hand over to the most senior Deputy Comptroller General.
The memo, dated April 17, 2023, with code number CDCFIB/APPT.CG&DCG/61/VOL.IV/74, was signed by the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board Secretary, Obasi Edmond, on the orders of the Board chairman and Interior Minister, Rauf Aregbesola.
It is titled “Notification of expiration of one-year extension in office as acting Comptroller-General, Nigeria Immigration Service.”
It read, “I write to draw your attention to the end of one-year extension in office granted to you by Mr President via letter no. SH/COS/42/3/3/A128 date April 22, 2022, and which would be expiring on April 24, 2023.
“Consequently, you are directed to hand over to the most senior Deputy Comptroller-General on or before Monday, April 24, 2023, pending Mr President’s appointment of a substantive Comptroller-General of the Service.
“The board is grateful to you for your immense contributions to the Nigeria Immigration Service and the country and wishes you success in your future endeavours.”
Idris, who was Deputy Comptroller-General (Accounting), assumed duty as acting head of the service in September 2021 after the retirement of the former CGI, Muhammed Babandede.
The acting CGI was due for retirement when he turned 60 on April 24, 2022, under the civil service rules, until President Muhammadu Buhari extended his tenure by one year.
In a letter dated April 22, 2022, and addressed to the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, the President’s Chief of Staff, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, announced that the tenure extension was with immediate effect.
Idris’ name was first on a list dated December 6, 2021, which contained the names of 804 immigration officers due for retirement between January 1 and December 31, 2022.
It should be recalled that a human rights activist, Inibehe Effiong, threatened to sue the federal government over any further attempted decision of President Buhari to extend the tenure of retired Deputy Comptroller-General of Immigration, Isah Jere, as the acting Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service.
He wondered why the President could not appoint a substantive immigration boss out of the dozens of qualified officers.
According to PUNCH, the Federal Ministry of Interior recently conducted a test and interview for several officers and has picked three as the best.
Idris Jere will be leaving in April 2023 barely a month before Buhari exits office as the Nigerian President.
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