NIS recruits to Buhari: We’ve been trained to use arms, we can’t return to being civilians

The 2,000 Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) recruits dispersed in 2015 say they have written to President Muhammadu Buhari, seeking audience with him over the non-reversal of their dispersal order.

Precious Iroakazi, the spokesman for the group, told NAN on Monday in Lagos that the proposed meeting with Buhari was to know their fate.

He said “we have gone to the right quarters to channel our grievances, including the national assembly, but nothing has been done to reinstate them.”

“We have written to President Buhari as aggrieved Nigerian youth and in our capacity as citizens over our unfair dispersal and suspension from NIS.

“It is on this premise that we seek audience and with the president and other stakeholders. If you recall, after the failed immigration recruitment of 2014, the federal government set up a presidential committee to assist in the recruitment of immigration officers of various cadres.

“After almost a year had passed, the committee was constituted and vacancies were re-advertised on February 9, 2015, on the website of the federal civil service commission and in the media. The rigorous recruitment process started with a computer-based aptitude test in centres across Nigeria.”

He went on to say “the successful candidates were short-listed for an oral interview, physical examination and document verification in their states of origin.”

“Successful candidates were offered appointments with regards to the principle of federal character.”

“Then after, they were required to report to the various training schools in Ahoada, Orlu and Kano for documentation, collection of service numbers, posting letters and appointment letters.”

Iroakazi said that the assistant superintendent II officers were, however, not given appointment letters at the training schools but were issued with posting letters.

The letters, he said, indicated that their appointment letters would be sent in due course but surprisingly, the appointment letters had not been sent till date.

“On the August 20, 2015, after three months of induction, these 2,000 officers were dispersed and sent home with vague reasons pending further directives.

“We want to restate that we are no longer civilians with blood, sweat and tears; we have been inducted into paramilitary life, with countless training on the handling of fire arms.

“And many more service secrets are at our disposal all these months. Do they expect us to go back to our previous lives as civilians with the knowledge and secrets they have given to us?

“Do they expect us to become delinquents, especially in this period of global security challenges and terrorism? Do they expect us to use what we have learnt against the country?”

Iroakazi said “if they expect these from us, we won’t succumb, instead, we shall reaffirm our patriotic spirit, and we shall incorporate all we have learnt into the growth of this country.”

“We got this job on merit. We do not want to be back in the dreary streets of unemployment that once threatened our life’s goals and ambitions.

“We are the future of this great nation. We hereby solicit your help to ensure the reversal of our dispersal order and the issuance of Appointment Letters to the 400 Assistant Superintendent II Officers.”

Iroakazi said that the reinstatement and integration of the 2,000 newly recruited officers into NIS with payment of all outstanding emoluments would be to the country’s benefit.

“Finally, we ask the government to have faith in our simple dreams; dreams that are no less characterised by the desire and zeal to labour for the betterment of Nigeria.”