SAN FRANCISCO, October 28, (THEWILL) – The Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS, says it is set to issue provisional letters of appointment to 888 successful candidates out of 1,470 involved in the ill-fated recruitment exercise some years ago.
Recall that on Saturday March 15, 2014, about 6.5 million applicants for vacant positions at the Immigration reported to various designated centers across the country for screening. The exercise turned rowdy and resulted in a stampede that led to the death of 16 persons.
After the botched exercise, then president, Goodluck Jonathan set up a presidential committee with a mandate to assist the Civil Defence, Fire Immigration and Prisons Service Board, CDFIPB, in carrying out recruitment exercise to fill the vacancies in NIS.
Speaking with reporters on Friday, the NIS Comptroller General, CG, Muhammed Babandede, explained that the CDFIPB issued out guidelines for a fresh screening of only 2000 applicantswhose names were published in Leadership and ThisDay newspapers on August 15 and 16 2016 respectively.
Babandede disclosed that a total of 1,470 reported for screening meant initially for the 2,000 applicants. Out of that number, it said, 888 met all the criteria and were therefore successful.
The breakdown shows that the number of Assistant Superintendent of Immigration 11 is: 177, Assistant Inspector of Immigration is: 305 and Immigration Assistant I – immigration Assistant III are: 406, totalling 888.
According to the CG, “The guidelines included: Age on rank, proper scrutiny of certificate, Physical fitness, drug free test, security clearance, good conduct/character and medical fitness.
“The screening exercise was carried out at the NIS Headquarters Abuja between August 29 2016 and September 6, 2016 and was opened to the press.
“The recommendations from the exercise have been submitted to the CDFIPB which on confirmation will be issued the provisional letters of appointment to the 888 successful candidates.
“The successful candidates will remain on probation in line with the Public Service extant laws until they are ensured that indeed they are drug free and of good conduct.
“For the successful applicants their names will be posted on our website on Monday. With this development the recruitment exercise has been regularized and the issue finally laid to rest.”
The Immigration boss added that “This government has given us a lot of opportunity to purchase patrol vehicles. We have done the tender to follow due process. Government has budget a lot of fund to buy operational vehicles. It has reached federal Executive Council (FEC) for approval.
“Ones we have vehicles we will hit the ground running. The challenge we have is that there is no equipment. We need border surveillance equipment to see things happening in Abuja. By 2017 we will focus on border patrol.
“You are aware that majority of those who are saved at the high sea unfortunately Nigeria is number three. Italy alone claimed that from January till date 30 thousand Nigerians have been rescued in Italy of cause it does not mean that those 30 thousand Nigerians left the country today, some are in different nearby countries because they were going by road.”
The NIS stated that the names of the successful candidates will be made available on its website, “www.immigration.org.ng” from Monday 31st Oct. 2016. Adding that successful candidates can start looking out for their letters.
