Patrick Osadebamwen
Higher National Diploma, HND, holders of the Nigerian Immigration Service, NIS, in the supritendent cadre may have been permanently restricted to enjoy further promotion following ommision of their names from the list of newly promoted officers of the service after due participation in the last conducted interview exercise.
The promotion list posted on the notice board of the Immigration Service at its Airport road Head office in Abuja clearly showed that only university graduates of first degree holders among the rank of supritendent cadre were successful in the published promotion list with names of their HND counterpart conspicuosly ommited.
Although successful officers who have been decorated are elated over their personal promotion but expressed disappointment at the decision of the Comptroller General Chukwura Joseph Udeh on the alleged unilateral removal of the names of HND holders in the service.
It was learnt that before the sacking of the erstwhile cabinet, approval was secured for the promotion of officers and men of the Service in line with the Establishment rules. Following this, service personnel were invited for interview which took place in the third quarter of 2009 at the Civil Defence Immigration and Prisons Services Board, Gwagwalada.
Our sources said the examination and interview which lasted for 24 hours was conducted tagged operation show your certificate from all graduates of first degree and Higher National Diploma. Sources said graduates who underwent the compulsory one year National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, scheme were shortlisted and took the same interview and examination in the same hall.
Consequently, successful candidates were forwarded to the service leadership for publication. It was at this point that a twist was introduced by the Comptroller General Chukwura Joseph Udeh who allegedly ordered the removal of all HND graduates on the list.
Inside sources said that the meeting did not end without resistance from some officers in the meeting who faulted the decision demanding the wisdom behind the action. Meanwhile after omitting the names of the Higher Nationa Diploma officers other of equivalent rank: Principal Inspector of Immigration, PII, Chief Inspector of Immigration, CII, and Chief Supritendent of Immigration, CSI, who possessed NCE and Ordinary National Diploma were promoted.
Udeh’s failure to provide convincing reason strengthen resistance by an Assistant Comptroller in the meeting which led to a physical scuffle on the matter between the Comptroller General and the Assistant Comptroller of the service who was said to be openly opposed action.
The rules of the service had placed a limitation of promotion of HND graduates at level 14 with an option of conversion for progression to level 17 where such service personnel has acquired the higher qualification such as Masters degree or Phd.
Findings by our reporters revealed a deep dissatisfaction amongst the officers who were affected by this development, one of the affected officers quarried, “It is clear that we are not yet in that level, we are between level 10 and 13 if the bar is at level 14 as stipulated by the rules in the scheme of service why should we be handpicked and visited with this evil decision?
The development has been described as unfortunate and capable of dividing the officer cadre of the Nigerian Immigration service as it introduces complexes among its officers arising from the tertiary insitituion they have attended.
Another argued that the situation would introduce an era of hostile work environment for all officers of the service and would dampened the morale of affected officers many of whom said the situation stands against the spirit and letter of existing guidline approved by the National Council of Establishment.
Reacting on matter, Assistant Comptroller of Immigration, Ekpedeme King, said those flying this kite should reach out to the Civil Defence Immigration and Prisons Board for clearance as the Board is the only body with the mandate to deal with issues of promotion.
It would be recalled that the former President Olusegun Obasanjo administration had lifted the bar on the limitation of a Polytechnic graduate of Higher National Diploma who were hitherto restricted to the height of level 14 in the service.
Sources in the service who volunteer information on the matter on ground of anonymity said the action by the comptroller general was misguided by his advisers and that it may consume him if he does not allow the rules that govern the service to moderate his actions at this critical time of his career.
A similar sitution was alleged to have rear its head while Gen. Godwin Abbey was the interior minister. Abbey it was learnt instructed the service to harmonised HND and degree officers together as such dichotomy was not considered in military circles.
Ekpede dismissed this position saying that if the former minister, Gen. Abbey made such remark it would have been a ministerial directive backed by a circular, adding that “I am not aware of such pronouncement by the former minister.”
Another officer said am not affected but this development can cause a divide amongst us and “How do you expect any sensible officer who was in the service years before some others came into the service accept becoming a surbodinate to his junior.”
It would be recalled that a two-day stakeholders forum on strategies for the implementationof government policy on parity between HND and first degree qualification held between June 15 and 16 2009, and published in the Federal civil Service Bulletin July-september 2009 issued a communique amongst which it stated that “ a government white paper on parity between HND and first degree qualification has already directed the removal of ceiling on the career progression of HND holders in the public service.
This report was published in the SUMMIT Newspapers April 3, 2010
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