Revealed: Over 1,000 Immigration Officers Who Participated In 2023 Polls Still Owed Election Duty Allowances

Forum 4 months ago

According to a report by SaharaReporters, it has been gathered that some officers of the Nigeria Immigration Service who worked during the just-concluded 2023 general elections across the country are yet to be paid their entitlements.

One of the affected officers who spoke to SaharaReporters revealed that even though some of his colleagues have been paid, a number of officers no fewer than 1,000 who mostly worked in North Central region states like Kwara, Kogi and Plateau are yet to receive their election duty allowances.

He stated that each of these officials is entitled to N90,000 for their services during the general elections, held on February 25 and March 18, 2023.

According to the immigration officer, they are at risk of losing their entitlements because the current acting Comptroller-General (CG) of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Mr Isah Jere Idris, is set to retire on May 29, 2023.

“I want to also note that our CG is retiring on the 29th of this month; he should try and clear the money before leaving the office,” one of the affected officers told SaharaReporters.

When SaharaReporters called the spokesperson for the immigration service, Anthony Akuneme, to seek his comment on this report, he promised to call back in an hour but never did.

When SaharaReporters called him again, he promised to call back in one minute’s time.

Subsequent efforts to get his reaction to the report were not successful.

Similarly, SaharaReporters had reported that no fewer than 3,091 officers of the Nigeria Customs Service who worked during the elections across the country were still owed their allowances.

This was confirmed by some of the customs officers who spoke to SaharaReporters on the telephone on April 30, 2023.

According to a letter with a list of the 3,091 officers, titled, ‘Re: Forwarding List Of Officers Deployed For 2023 General Election Duties,’ the Customs officers were “deployed to complement the strength of the Nigeria Police during the 2023 General Elections”. The letter dated February 8, 2023, was signed by M Abba-Kura, Acting Deputy Comptroller-General (E,I&I) for the Comptroller-General of Customs.