Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has reacted to the controversy trailing its recent promotion exercise.
Public Relations Officer, Deputy Comptroller of Immigration, Abraham Sunday James, in a chat with newsmen yesterday said accusations against the service were incorrect.
“About the last promotion exercise that was released recently, all you have read on the social media have no atom of truth accusing the Comptroller General, Mohammed Babandede, of Islamising the service by denying qualified officers except they are Muslims and northerners.”
James said of those who aspired to the highest office in the service, the Assistant Comptroller General of Immigration, 23 were promoted to that rank.
He explained that 13 are Christians, 10 are Muslims; while nine are women and 14 are men.
Of the nine women promoted, eight are Christians and the only Muslim woman is Salamatu Mohammed.
By geographical spread, 12 of the 23 officers promoted are from the South, while 11 are from the North.
James added: “I must also state the fact that all these sectional interests were not even put into consideration when the promotion was being undertaken.
“The promotion was done strictly on merit. I also got promoted myself, yet I am a Christian from the South.
“From the day this Comptroller General, Mohammed Babandede, had resumed, he had used every effort to streamline officers to be more responsive to the public.
“Many officers were caught either for dereliction of duty, for taking bribe, for not living up to expectation.
“Many of these people were those who have designed a means of publishing so much untruth about the service.
“I wish you can do independent survey of officers and men in the service to verify all I have told you.
“Our staffers are happier today than before the coming of the Comptroller General.
“Many members of the public who has had contacts with our men have had good words to say.
“We are reforming and fighting corruption to a standstill. The victims of the reforms are the ones undermining the system.”
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