Defence
By Anthony Isibor
THE controversy over President Muhammadu Buhari’s extension of Mohammed Babandede, controller general of Immigration Service’, CGIS, tenure will soon end going by the content of a recent circular from NIS Headquarters. The circular directed all heads of directorates to release personnel from the ranks of inspector and below to attend the CGIS’ pulling out parade rehearsals.
The circular, which was sighted by Realnews, was dated Wednesday, September 1, 2021, and signed by DCI Adams Muhammed, PSC, provost marshal.
According to the document, “All Heads of Directorates are to release personnel from the ranks of Inspector and bellow to attend Controller General’s pulling out parade rehearsals.
The rehearsals, slated to start on Thursday, September 2, appears to be in preparation for the retirement of Babandede, the current CGIS whose tenure was extended by the president last year.
Babandede, the 16th indigenous controller general of Immigration Services, CGIS, was appointed by President Buhari on May 15, 2016, as a replacement for Martin Kure Abeshi, who retired on June 21, 2016.
His appointment took effect from May 15, 2016. He was already 57 years at his appointment to the apex office of the NIS, and was expected to exit the public office at the age of 60, or after 35 years of service.
However, Babandede, was due for retirement on September 15, 2020, having spent 35 years in service in line with the public service regulation, which stated that compulsory retirement age for all grades in the civil service should be 60 years or 35 years of pensionable service, whichever is earlier.
“No officer in the civil service shall be allowed to remain in the office after attaining the retirement age of 60 years or 35 years of pensionable service whichever is earlier,” civil service rule.
Thus when in 2020, Babandede did not proceed to a two months retirement leave as he was expected to, there was tension.
The Independent reportsof September 13, 2020, stated that “Palpable tension gripped the ranks and file of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) who have been awaiting President Muhammadu Buhari’s final decision on the Comptroller General of the Service, Mohammed Babandede, whose tenure of office expires in September.”
Realnewsrecalls that Abeshi, Babandede’s predecessor, who was due for retirement on May 13, 2016, had spent an extra five days before his exit. Like Babandede, Abeshi had sought for an extension of his tenure, having reached the retirement age, but did not get Buhari’s approval.
Consequently, when on September 15, 2020, Babandede’s tenure was extended by Buhari, there was an uproar from several quarters. The extension was regarded as illegal and unacceptable.
This culminated in a court case seeking to overturn the president’s extension of Babandede’s tenure of office.
In the suit marked NICN/ABJ/196/2020, Makolo challenged the tenure extension of the Comptroller General of the NIS, stating that as a citizen of Nigeria, he was aggrieved and has the right to complain when the laws are being breached.
“In the interest of the law, we should test it (the decision) upstairs. We shall test the judgment at the Court of Appeal and I hope the court will give speed to the case,” he said.
The National Industrial Court sitting in Abuja, however, struck out the suit on the grounds that Makolo lacked the locus standi to institute the case in court.
According to Justice Olufunke Anuwe, who presided over the case, “The claimant has not shown how his right has been infringed on as a result of the extension of the tenure of the Comptroller General of the NIS.
She also stated that he failed to disclose any violation of his right as he was a dismissed staff member of the NIS.
Consequently, the court held that the suit was “incompetent and the absence of locus standi on the part of the claimant stripped this court of jurisdiction.”
– Sept. 06, 2021 @ 17:37 GMT |
A.I
Tags: DCI Adams Muhammed Justice Olufunke Anuwe Mohammed Babandede Nigeria Immigration Service PSC pulling out parade
