Nigeria Immigration Service - There are strong indications that the management of the Nigeria Immigration Service has approved the recruitment of 1,600 personnel over which the erstwhile Comptroller -General of Immigration, David Parradang, was suspended by the Federal Government.
It was learnt that the candidates had been given letters of appointment and absorbed into the service by the Civil Defence, Fire, Immigration and Prisons Board.
Parradang was suspended by the Federal Government in August 2015 for allegedly recruiting the 1,600 personnel in violation of extant laws.
He was said to have issued appointment letters to 700 Assistant Inspectors of Immigration as well as admitting 900 Immigration Assistants III into the Nigeria Immigration Service without the CDFIPB approval.
Parradang, in his defence, had claimed that he carried out the recruitment based on a presidential directive by former President Goodluck Jonathan. However, his explanation did not impress the government which placed him on an indefinite suspension.
It was learnt that the panel that probed the recruitment exercise carried out by the former CG cleared him of any wrongdoing.
It was gathered that the findings of the panel had put the Federal Government in a dilemma and the Presidency was yet to decide whether to recall or retire Parradang who had been on suspension for about seven months.
Sources said the approval of the recruitment by the government had further vindicated the suspended CG and proved that he had not engaged in any illegality.
When contacted on Sunday, the NIS Public Relations Officer, Ekpedeme King, said he has no information on the development.
"I can't confirm the regularisation of the recruitment by the former CG. I don’t have any information on it now," he stated.
Source: The Punch