Leaked memo has revealed that the Acting Controller General of the Nigerian Immigration Service, Mr Idris Isah Jere has planned to secretly elongate his tenure without the approval of President Muhammadu Buhari.
According to the leaked memo sighted by InsightMedia in Abuja on Friday, the tenure of Jere initially expired on April 24, 2022 but it was extended by a year by President Buhari. The one year extension is expected to lapse on April 24.
However, according to leaked memo sighted, Jere has planned to go on “an official trip” from April 13 and he said he will be resuming on April 25 – a day after the end of his tenure.
The memo titled “official assignment and dated April 12, ” reads, “Be informed that I shall be away from 13th to 25th April, 2023.
“During my absence, IAM Haliru (DCGV/R) shall hold fort. All official correspondences should therefore be directed to him.”
Reacting to the development, Coalition of Civil Society Organizations has asked the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commision to investigate what “gross misconduct” by the CG Immigration to clandestinely extend his tenure.
According to a petition submitted by the Coalition, a copy of which was obtained by InsightMedia, the Civil Society Organizations said Jere must leave on or before April 24 as his tenure has not been extended.
The statement signed by Olufemi Lawson partly read, “To enlist and foster public support in combating corruption and acting in accordance with the above, we bring before you gross act of misconduct and corrupt practice embarked upon by the CG of the Nigerian Immigration service.
“Sir, as attached in this letter, the tenure of acting CG statutorily ended on the 24th of April 2022 but by the decision of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as so accorded by the law, his tenure was elongated by a year, evident of which is provided in this letter.
“Relying on the letter of extension as signed by the chief of staff to the president, the one year elongation ends on the 24th of April, 2023 provided no further elongation is given which until the moment of writing this letter to you is non existent.
“Where such letter is nonexistent, it can be rightly concluded that the acting CG is to vacate office before or on the 24th of April 2023 and any action taken or processes embarked upon run foul of the subsisting Public law. Where this is the case, we shall be constrained to approach a Court of Law, to seek interpretations on whether the Executive power of the CG is self renewable without the consent or otherwise of the president.
“Meanwhile, a letter was issued from the office of the CG as to the effect of an official trip and the letter (as attached) stated that the CG will be away from 13th April to the 25th of April when his tenure would have been duly and officially terminated.
“Sir, this is an act of corruption as the question arises as to what the CG is returning as on the 25th of April having exhausted his tenure by the 24th and on who’s bill the expenses of the extra day(s) in office would be. Definitely not that of the tax payers money albeit illegally.
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“As a civil society organisation with whom you have the responsibility of foster support in combating corruption, we bring this to your notice and ask that you act in the defence of our law and its provisions.”
