Minister of Interior Rauf Aregbesola
Aregbesola denies approving Governing Board’s retirement notice to Immigration acting CGI, Jere
Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has denied approving a notice directing the acting Comptroller-General (CGI) of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Mr Idris Isah Jere, to leave office upon expiration of his tenure, on or before Monday, April 21.
Oracle Today had reported, earlier Monday, that the Governing Board of the NIS had served a retirement notice to the acting CGI, Isah Idris Jere to leave, effective on or before April 24, 2023, on the directive of the Minster of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola.
The Governing Board in an internal memo cited the expiration of the one-year extension of service granted by the President Muhammadu Buhari, as it directed CGI Jere 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 Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola.
The memo titled; “Notification of expiration of one-year extension in office as acting Comptroller-General, Nigeria Immigration Service,” also asked Jere to ‘hand over to the most senior Deputy Comptroller-General on or before Monday, April 24, 2023.’
“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 to 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 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 in a list dated December 6, 2021, which contained the names of 804 immigration officers due for retirement between January 1 and December 31, 2022.
However, fielding questions by State House Correspondents after the wekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting chaired by Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, the minister denied any knowledge of any notice to Jere to step aside, describing the report as ‘Greek’ to him.
“It is Greek to me,” Aregbesola responded on the reported notice to Jere to leave office at the expiration of the one year extension of service.
