A civil liberties advocate has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene in the alleged non-payment of allowances to Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) officers serving in foreign missions. Steve Aluko, the advocate, claimed at a press conference in Jos that some officers are owed up to 15 months in unpaid allowances.
Advocate Demands Settlement Before Recall
Aluko urged the federal government to settle the outstanding entitlements before recalling officers from their foreign postings. He also called for a review of the deployment process, asserting that some newly approved immigration attachés were left uncertain about their postings, while some existing postings were being reassigned.
“This is the greatest level of injustice,” Aluko said. He called for an inquiry into the deployment process to ensure that postings are managed transparently and in line with proper procedures.
Financial Hardship for Officers Abroad
Aluko said the delayed payments had caused financial difficulties for affected officers, including struggles to pay rent, school fees, and medical expenses while serving outside Nigeria. “We are not asking the immigration service to keep the officers on foreign mission indefinitely. What we are saying is simple: pay them what is due before they are returned home,” he said.
He urged the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Office of the National Security Adviser, the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, the Ministry of Finance, and the Chief of Staff to the President to intervene. Aluko said that immigration officers serving abroad play a vital role in Nigeria’s international relations and revenue generation, despite the challenges they face. He warned that ongoing failure to tackle the issue could impair the efficiency of Nigeria’s foreign missions.
Immigration Service Clarifies Allowance Dispute
The NIS said the dispute concerns allowances. The NIS spokesperson, A.S. Akinlabi, said the matter was administrative and that affected personnel had already been mobilised for deployment. “The people who are owed, it’s not sure they owe them a salary, but allowances, and even the allowance will be paid. That is the federal government that is owing them,” he said.
Akinlabi urged the affected officers and other stakeholders to remain calm, assuring that the outstanding payments would be addressed. He also stressed the importance of immigration personnel to national security, including counter-terrorism operations. “Either it’s allowance or salary, these people are entitled to what they work for,” he said.
The call for presidential intervention comes amid ongoing concerns over the welfare of NIS officers abroad, with the advocate warning that unresolved issues could undermine the effectiveness of Nigeria’s diplomatic missions.
