Acting Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Immigration Service, Idri Isah Jere has reportedly been making moves to extend his tenure in office for the second time after the expiration of the illegally extended one year he got from President Muhammadu Buhari in 2022.
Recall that Buhari had approved the extension of the tenure after his official retirement date April 24, 2022, having attained the age of 60 as stipulated by civil service rules.
Going by the extension of his tenure, the NIS boss is expected to vacate office by 24th April, 2023 and his expected to proceed on a sabbatical leave ahead of his final retirement.
However, a document obtained by Affairs TV News had revealed that instead of vacating office, Idris released a memo to all arms of the agencies on the 12th of April that he had proceeded on an official assignment on the 13th of April and will return to office on the 25th April, one day after his tenure would have expired.
He also directed that DCG IAM Haliru should act in his stead until his return.
Meanwhile, The Coalition of Civil Society Organizations has written the Independent Corrupt Practices (ICPC) to investigate the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service, CGI Idri Isah Jere.
A copy of the petition obtained by bulletin.ng signed by Olufemi Lawson, the Executive Director, Centre for Public Accountability noted that failure of ICPC to stop NIS Boss from acting while he should have stepped aside, the group will approach court.
The letter reads, “The Coalition of civil society groups in Nigeria as underlisted and signed, is a group of persons dedicated to the promotion of probity, accountability and transparency in governance, is writing your office to request that act of corruption ongoing at the Nigerian Immigartion Service be looked into and justice done.
“Relying on the laws guiding your establishment and in the belief that you will do what is right and just in the interest of the nation by your act that States that ‘The Indpendent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission’, as an independent statutory body vested with the implementation of the provisions of the Act.
“The duties of the Commission are stated clearly in Section 6 (a) (f) of the Act and they include:
To receive and investigate complaints from members of the public on allegations of corrupt practices and in appropriate cases prosecute the offenders.
To examine the practices, systems and procedures of public bodies and where such systems aid corruption, direct and supervise their review.
To instruct, advise and assist any officer, agency or parastatal on ways by which fraud or corruption may be eliminated or minimized by them.
To advise heads of public bodies of any changes in practices, systems or procedures compatible with the effective discharge of the duties of the public bodies to reduce the likelihood or incidence of bribery, corruption and related offences.
To educate the public on and against bribery, corruption and related offences.
To enlist and foster public support in combating corruption and acting in accordance with the above, we bring before you gross act of misconduct and corrupt practice embarked upon by the CG of the Nigerian Immigration service.
“Sir, as attached in this letter, the tenure of acting CG statutorily ended on the 24th of April 2022 but by the decision of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as so accorded by the law, his tenure was elongated by a year, evident of which is provided in this letter.
“Relying on the letter of extension as signed by the chief of staff to the president, the one year elongation ends on the 24th of April, 2023 provided no further elongation is given which until the moment of writing this letter to you is non existent.
“Where such letter is nonexistent, it can be rightly concluded that the acting CG is to vacate office before or on the 24th of April 2023 and any action taken or processes embarked upon run foul of the subsisting Public law. Where this is the case, we shall be constrained to approach a Court of Law, to seek interpretations on whether the Executive power of the CG is self renewable without the consent or otherwise of the president.
“Meanwhile, a letter was issued from the office of the CG as to the effect of an official trip and the letter (as attached) stated that the CG will be away from 13th April to the 25th of April when his tenure would have been duly and officially terminated.
“Sir, this is an act of corruption as the question arises as to what the CG is returning as on the 25th of April having exhausted his tenure by the 24th and on who’s bill the expenses of the extra day(s) in office would be. Definitely not that of the tax payers money albeit illegally.
“As a civil society organisation with whom you have the responsibility of foster support in combating corruption, we bring this to your notice and ask that you act in the defence of our law and its provisions.
