Appointment into NIS not for sale, says Immigration Boss

The Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service ( NIS), Mr Muhammad Babandede, has said appointment into the Service is neither for sale nor for the children of the rich.

Speaking in Yola, capital of Adamawa State, on Saturday, Babandede said the appointment is basically for those that are fit and qualified.

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The News Agency of Nigeria ( NAN) reports that the Immigration Boss was in Adamawa on a two-day official visit, during which he inaugurated a Sick Bay Centre and a Forward Operation Base (FOB) at Gurin and Belel in Fufore and Maiha Local Government Areas respectively.

He said that when he assumed office in 2016, he ensured that no vacant position was sold to the children of the rich, adding that the poor should be treated equal with the rich without any discrimination.

370,000 applied for 4,900 slots in 2020/2021 recruitment

He said that recently, 370,000 people applied for the 4,900 available vacant positions from across the country for the 2020/2021 recruitment.

“After an intensive screening, we invited 70,000 applicants for examination and 50,000 appeared and sat for the examination.

“We shortlisted 6,000 candidates for final physical screening and only those that are fit and qualified will be recruited as officers of the Service in the next two weeks.

“We will make sure we do justice and the appointments will be shared equally among all the 774 local government areas of the country,’’ Babandede said.

He said the children of the poor have the right to apply for the job alongside the “so-called children of the rich”.

He recalled that in 1985, he got recruited into the Service without knowing anybody or any top government official.

In his remark, Alhaji Idi Amin, the Chairman of Maiha Local Government Area, appreciated the Federal Government for establishing the base.

Amin said the local government got the support of both the Federal and the state government to organise a meeting with the border communities between Nigeria and Cameroon .

He said that during the meeting, a significant security issue bordering, especially, on border banditry was discussed and the communities agreed to work together to end criminal activities in their respective communities. ( NAN)