Indications have emerged that the recent
confirmation of Mr. Martins Kure Abeshi
as the substantive Controller General
(CG) of the Nigeria Immigration Service
(NIS) may turn out to be a temporary
respite as he is due for compulsory retirement in October. LEADERSHIP gathered exclusively that
the newly confirmed Immigration boss,
who is due for retirement next month
having attained the mandatory 60 years
of age and put in the official 35 years of
meritorious service to NIS, had prior to his appointment, been served a letter
instructing him to proceed on the
mandatory three months pre-retirement
leave, alongside some Deputy
Controllers General (DCGs) and
Assistant Controllers General (ACGs) who fall into the same category. Investigations have also revealed that
fears have heightened at the Immigration
Headquarters that Abeshi, who is set to
be decorated by the federal government
today as confirmed by the Ministry of
Interior, may be embroiled in a sit-tight drama as he may decide to stay put in
office at the expiration of his 35 years’
service in October. Feelers are that unless President
Muhammadu Buhari decides to extend
Abeshi’s tenure, the federal government
may need to promote relatively younger
officers or possibly recruit outsiders as
was the case with the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), thereby raising the risk of
costly strategic mistakes at a time when
the service can least afford to. A dependable source at the Immigration
Headquarters, who did not want his name
in print, told LEADERSHIP that the NIS,
in conjunction with the supervising
Ministry of Interior and the Civil Defence,
Prisons, Immigration and Fire Service Board (CPIFB), served Abeshi a letter
directing him to proceed on the three
months compulsory pre-retirement leave. The source said, “From all indications,
Abeshi’s appointment could be termed as
another 419 game script drafted by the
present administration. This is because if
the new CG fails to leverage on his links
to some top government officials to stay put in office after October 2015, the
mantle of leadership might no doubt shift
to a retired general.” “Let me assure you that at the height of
this, the crisis that will ensue as a result
of who gets what, why, and when, would
be massive. It would force all those who
have been playing to the gallery and
pretending that they do not know the politics going on in the service and the
country in general to act.” “We know that books are usually opened
before any appointment is made. Are
they in any way feigning ignorance of the
fact that Abeshi is due for retirement by
October? If they needed his services that
much, why was he not allowed to man the saddle on acting capacity till then,
while another qualified officer is finally
picked?” When contacted, the spokesman of the
Immigration Service, Mr. Chukwuemeka
Obuah said, “I have not been mandated
by any authority to speak for NIS. So, I
don’t have any opinion on that.” Also responding to LEADERSHIP’s
inquiries, the director of press, Ministry
of Interior, Yusuf Ishiaka Alhaji said, “I
have no idea as to such development but
there is also nothing wrong with that. If
he is due for retirement by October, then he can vacate the seat when the time
comes. I don’t see anything wrong with
manning that position for two months.”

Abeshi will retire and life continues.

Appointment at that level is not affected by the 35 years in service or 60 years of age clause, it is based on d Discretion of the President. The Agency in question has rules and regulation, whoever is disgruntled by the appointment of the new CG and fails to perform his/her duties as expected will be charged, tried and dismissed! I pity such a person....Fake Propaganda....Tension kor Wire ni....Sai Baba!