By Ishaya Ibrahim
Acting News Editor
The federal government has terminated the employment of hundreds of Immigration officers recruited by the Goodluck Jonathan administration to compensate for the botched 2014 recruitment exercise which resulted in the deaths of 18 people.
A circular obtained by TheNiche, signed by Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) Deputy Comptroller General, HY Malgwi, on behalf of Comptroller General, Martins Abeshi, confirmed that the recruits, who were undergoing induction at various commands, were sent home without compensation.
“I am directed to refer to the above subject matter (Re: Staff Recruitment into the Immigration Service) and to invite you to recall with immediate effect the dispersed recruits who were undergoing induction following their recruitment by the Presidential Committee to Assist in Immigration Recruitment.”
The directive may have been given by Interior Minister, Abdulrahman Dambazau, who felt that his predecessor, Abba Moro, populated the NIS with his kinsmen.
The sack of the officers is a double jeopardy to the families of those who died in the recruitment exercise two years ago.
The Jonathan administration gave the families of victims of the tragedy three slots each to nominate persons for automatic employment in Immigration as compensation for their loss.
A competent source in the NIS said after Jonathan gave the directive, there was misconception among officers as to whether it was issued via official memo from the Internal Affairs Ministry.
But the action of the Muhammadu Buhari administration means that the grieving families have been thrown into another bout of mourning.
In September last year, the government also terminated the employment of 65 personnel of the Department of State Services (DSS) undergoing training at the DSS Training School in Lagos.
No reason was given for their dismissal, which was contained in a letter by DSS Director General, Lawal Daura.
Vanguard quoted a source in the DSS who complained that the recruitment of the officers was shoddy.
“What happened was that the recruitment of most of these cadets did not follow due process. They were brought into the service by politicians without meeting the stringent requirements set by the service in recruiting its personnel,” he said.
