THE Nigeria Immigration Service, on Wednesday, announced the promotion of no fewer than 7,000 officers nationwide.
This was as it redeployed 12 new Comptrollers to their respective states of assignment.
“The promotion was contained in a letter signed by the Secretary of the Immigration, Civil Defense, Correctional and Fire Service Board, Jafaru Ahmed,” a statement signed by the acting Service Spokesperson, Kenneth Kure, read on Wednesday.
The statement is titled ‘NIS elevates 7,000 officers, redeploys 12 comptrollers.’
Kure, who was also elevated to the rank of Assistant Comptroller, revealed that the number of promoted officers and men included senior officers who sat for the regular exams and junior staff members who were upgraded due to acquiring additional qualifications.
The Acting Comptroller-General of Immigration, Wuraola Adepoju, also approved the appointment of the immediate past Service Spokesman, Tony Akuneme, as FCT Command Comptroller. At the same time, Comptroller Joseph Dada becomes the new Principal Staff Officer to the Comptroller-General.
Mr Dada, a graduate of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, has served in various commands in the NIS. Until his recent appointment, he was the Comptroller in Charge of the Marine Border Corps at the Service Headquarters.
The 12 Comptrollers were recently redeployed to different states, including FCT, Kano, Jigawa, Ondo, Ogun and Mfum Border Control, among others.
In her address to officers and men of the service during their monthly parade, the immigration chief urged them to put the image of the service above personal interests.
She described the NIS as “one of the noblest professions and indeed the first agency that any visitor to Nigeria would accost upon arrival.”
Adepoju promised to prioritise personnel welfare and vowed that promotion must be based strictly on seniority.
She premised this on past promotion exercises, which saw newly recruited officers “moving over and above the older ones.” A case she described as “disheartening to see.”
The acting CGI also noted that the recent elevation is necessary as “any staff who is not well motivated cannot guarantee quality output.”