TheCable

Martin Abeshi, comptroller-general of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), says “disgruntled officers” are responsible for the allegation of bribery against .

 He described the allegation as malicious.

 A group, Youth Education on Human Right and Civic Responsibility, had petition President Muhammadu Buhari accusing Abeshi of receiving $20,000 from officers for posting to Nigeria’s missions abroad.

The group also accused the immigration boss of nepotism.

But in a statement issued on his behalf by Ekpedeme King, spokesman of the NIS, Abeshi denied the allegations.

King had spoken with TheCable on Thursday, describing the petition as a fabrication of “disgruntled officers” of the service.

“Before addressing the malicious issues in the fictitious petition, I wish to place it on record that preliminary investigation had revealed that the two signatories to the petition namely; Julius Adejo (DCI-NIS No. 7301) and Adamu Garba Yunusa (CSI-23620) are not on the nominal roll of the Nigeria Immigration Service,” a statement issued by Ekpedeme read.

“Invariably, the duo are not Immigration officers as they claimed and their allegations are credible but obviously calculated at disparaging the character of the management teams of both the federal ministry of interior as well as the Nigeria Immigration Service.

“On the issue of nepotism this management is proud to state that when placed against the last three (3) such postings, this one has more geographical spread than any other and has sufficiently taken care of the issue of gender.

“There is none of the officers undergoing disciplinary action and none was recruited in December, 2015 Attached are the names of the officers alleged to have disciplinary cases or appointments are not confirmed and their clearance.

“We find the allegation of payment or agreement to pay the sum of $20,000 us each officer to the CGI or management most callous and villainous. Common sense should show that if the comptroller-general were to disengage from the service today 13th May, 2016 as alleged, then the officers would not be duty bound to pay him such money in the next two months when they receive their allowances as he would have no authority over their stay abroad.

“Moreover, should they say (sic) to pay such money, the CGI has no powers to recall any officer unilaterally?

“Furthermore the average allowance for any officer which covers accommodation, stationeries, school fees and local transportation is not even up to half of the alleged amount in two months. Even if it was up to that amount, how would they take care of their accommodation and up keep in a foreign land after giving it out?

“The NIS is terrified that same disgruntled officers who believe that they must be posted to Nigeria’s mission abroad can go this far to tarnish an institution they belong to. However, the CGI and management without sounding immodest will continue to be committed to good governance and shun corrupt practices in line with the change mantra of the present Government, while discrete investigation will commence to expose and punish the two (2) faceless wicked elements.”