Morale is presently low among officers of The Nigeria Immigration Service following substantiated allegation that its Comptroller General, David Parradang and the Internal Affairs Minister, Abba Moro who has the agency under him are playing ethnic card and shortchanging officers who are not from North-central.
While Moro hails from Benue State, Parradang is a native of Pankshin in Plateau State.
The duo OrijoReporter was told considered indigenes of the two states for any juicy posting, particularly foreign posting while those from other states watch in frustration.
Officers were also said to be complaining about being shortchanged by the two men.
Insiders say, Border Patrol Officers (Corps) across the country that recently went to Kano for training were to be paid the sum of N1.4m each, but got a paltry sum, for their transport.
“We only received the sum of N14,000 as transport and nothing has been done since,” an officer hinted.
There were allegations of how officers that went on transfer in April/May 2014 were yet to be paid their due arrears; and those who were to be paid for 12 months, only got 3 months.
Also rather than grading the officers promoted; they just abandoned everyone; thereby making some senior officers and their junior ones to be at the same rank in the hierarchy.
Another source added, that second set of officers after their training received their new uniforms without boots. “Even the uniforms given were one for each officer.”
However, the first set of officers we gathered, got their boots after six months.
“The most alarming of all these is that, due to high risk of our job, rifles are required at checkpoints but it may surprise you that when 12 officers are posted to a checkpoint, they are given only a rifle for protection. So, you begin to wonder why immigration officers have refused to function at full capacity; these are some of the reasons” our source said.
