Published By Olukayode Idowu
The Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has promised Nigerians that due process would be embraced in the appointment of the next Comptroller General of Immigration.
Aregbesola gave the promise on Monday during the Pulling Out Parade of Muhammad Babandede, the 16th Comptroller-General of Immigration at the NIS headquarters’ Parade Ground.
The Minister said: “The process of selecting the new CG is not arbitrary. It is following a due process and that is why somebody is standing in for that process to be completed.”
He said: “We must commend the President for allowing due process and not just arbitrary impunity.”
He noted that Babandede was the first Comptroller General of the NIS to be accorded the ceremonial pulling out, stressing that this was the result of the due process allowed by the Buhari’s administration, claiming that in the past Comptroller General were arbitrarily appointed.
He noted that part of the due process was the taking over of a Deputy Comptroller General in charge of Finance and Account, Idris Jere, in an acting capacity pending the appointment of the substantive Comptroller General by President Muhammadu Buhari.
He recounted the reason for the extension in tenure of Babandede who was due for retirement last year September by a year.
He said he took the case to the President that if he surely want him to perform efficiently he needs a year to learn how to manage the Immigration from Babandede and also allow the CGI a year to finish his core projects.
He said though some projects started by the the retired CGI are still uncompleted, he however explained that no human completes a project, promising that the project would be continued from were Babandede stopped.
Aregbesola said Babandede was one of the people who made his job as a minister less challenging.
He said Babandede’s wealth of experience in all aspects of immigration helped him to implement the president’s policies in the ministry.
While commending Babandede, the minister urged his successor to sustain the feats of the outgone CG.
Babandede, who was appointed the Comptroller General of the NIS on the 15th of May 2016, took over from Martin Kure Abeshi.
In his valedictory message, Babandede said he left the NIS better than he met it, but promised that though he is now retired, he would be ready to offer advice when called upon by the Service and his nation. [