Posting: Immigration Service moves against graft, injustice

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) is implementing a new posting system that will reduce corruption and improve productivity, the Comptroller-General of the Service. Muhammed Babandede has said.

Babandede, who revealed this at an interactive session with newsmen in Abuja yesterday, said the present posting system provided a breeding ground for corruption and injustice.

“I am reorganising the system of posting”, he said, “I have some officers who have spent nine years in foreign posts. I have officers who have spent nine years in training schools, that is not fair. I have set up a committee and it will submit its report anytime from next week. The posting policy will be like a circular form and will be for cadre officers.”

While noting that postings would now be done every two years, the Babandede stressed: “For example, when you spend two years in the passport office, you will spend the next two years in the borders and so on. They will all know the circle.”

He maintained that having such a circular would help in dealing with lobbyists who always call to make case for their friends, family members and associates.

“I am dealing with great lobbyists. They are causing a lot of havoc for Nigeria. When I came on board, some officers who had spent eight years in foreign posting started begging ministers, senators, House of Representatives members and governors for them to stay,” he said.

Babandede disclosed that among all immigration officers, only 5% can have the opportunity to go for foreign posting within their service years, hence everyone must be given the opportunity to get it.

He added that he was on the verge of implementing a new promotion guideline where personnel would write promotion examinations online and get their results immediately on their mobile phones.

He assured that the current procedure where personnel bribe their ways to promotion would soon stop.