22nd August, 2015
David Parradang was suspended as the Comptroller General of Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS on Friday because he issued letters of appointment of 700 assistant inspectors of Immigration and 900 Immigration Assistants III into the Service without approval, according to a letter signed by a director/secretary in the ministry in charge of Civil Defence, Fire, Immigration and Prisons Services Board, Mr A.A. Ibrahim.
In the letter which further clarified why the immigration boss was suspended, Parradang was also accused of refusing to take necessary measures to correct his action despite repeated advice given to him by the Ministry of Interior through several letters with reference nos FMI/PSO/OOl/lll/402 of June 11, 2015, and FMI/PSO/OOl/lll/411 of June 14, 2015.
The statement said “having considered the above mentioned acts committed by you to mean deliberate to the extant laws, insubordination to constituted authority authority and improper behaviour inimical to the service that is unbecoming of a public officer, l am to inform you that you have been suspended from office with immediate effect.
While you await further instruction, you are to hand over the affairs of your office to the most senior officer in the Nigeria Immigration Service. Please accept the well wishes of the permanent secretary”, the Board said in the letter dated 21, August.
It was initially believed that Parradang’s suspension from office was related to controversies and ongoing investigation on how valid an Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) leader, Imam Ahmed Al-Assir, in Lebanon who is on international terrorist wanted list was able to obtain valid Nigerian visa.
Al-Assir was arrested earlier this week in Lebanon on his way to Nigeria through Cairo, Egypt.
President Buhari had ordered investigations into how the wanted terrorist was able to obtain the visa.
Femi Adesina, special adviser to President Buhari however said Parradang was sacked over illegal recruitment into the Service.
The organisation was involved in a similar recruitment scandal in 2013 in which about 20 applicants died in a stampede while many others also sustained varying degrees of injuries in 2013.
The incident was attributed to poor organisation of the recruitment exercise.
Another recruitment ordered by former President Good luck Jonathan to benefit those injured during as well as relations of applicants who died in the fiasco of the 2013 recruitment exercise was similarly marred in controversies.
The intended beneficiaries complained of being left out while children and cronies of top officials of the Service were recruited.
NIS, deputy comptroller-general of Immigration, Martin Kure Abeshi, has been directed to take over from Parradang.