Parradang’s Suspension

Parradang's Suspension: Crisis Averted At
Immigration Headquarters
What would have degenerated into full blown
breakdown of law and order was yesterday averted at
the national headquarters of the Nigeria Immigration
Service (NIS), when some Pro-Parradang boys
allegedly went on rampage over President
Muhammadu Buhari's suspension of their 'son' and
boss, Mr. David Parradang, who they fear, might not
be recalled.
LEADERSHIP SUNDAY gathered that the development
created tension around Sauka community, almost
paralysing business activities at the service's popular
Mammy Market.
A source who spoke on the condition of anonymity,
and a trader in the mini market, said, "we were just
here trying to tidy up our sales as it was running late,
when we heard a group of angry officers spitting fire
and alleging partiality in the suspension of the North-
central born Comptroller General of Immigration,
stressing that the development was designed to pave
the way for the mantle of leadership to rest on a
government preferred shoulder."
Trouble was said to have started when another
group, comprising mostly of officers from the South-
east and South-south region of the country, laughed
them to scorn, challenging them to embark on an
open protest to register their grievances, rather than
hide in the popular market to make empty threats.
The southern group, LEADERSHIP Sunday gathered,
repeatedly advised the ranting officers to swallow
what they termed "national disgrace of a demi-god in
shame," and emulate the maturity they displayed
when the axe of suspension first fell on their
'daughter' and former Comptroller General,
Rosemary Uzoma. It was also gathered that feeling
insulted, the northern group promised to make life
unbearable for the latter group, for daring to openly
challenge and ridicule them.
LEADERSHIP SUNDAY further gathered that it took the
intervention of men of the Special Task Force (STF)
and some highly placed officers who were quickly
intimated about the development, to restore law and
order at the service's headquarters, with threats to
submit the names of members of the feuding groups
to the board as well as the Ministry of Interior for
disciplinary action.
Investigations further revealed that a large section of
officers and personnel of the NIS could not hide their
feelings and went into wild jubilation, immediately
the suspension of Parradang, was announced.
When LEADERSHIP Sunday visited the NIS
headquarters yesterday morning to ascertain the
reality on ground, officers were seen in groups at the
main gate cracking jokes, laughing at the top of their
voices and shaking hands in support of the
development.
It was learnt that another group converged in one of
the conference rooms, chanting "Ma su gudu, su
gudu" in Hausa, meaning "Those who want to run
should run," if they are not comfortable with the
development.
An officer, who craved anonymity, told our
correspondent that, "Parradang claimed to have
rebranded our service and bettered staff welfare by
50 per cent. Unfortunately, both claims remain
spurious. No one has really seen where those reflect
and there is no substantial evidence that he actually
reduced poverty by anything above 50 per cent."
According to the officer, Parradang pledged zero
tolerance for corruption and promised that the
officers working at the borders would be
technologically mobilised for better performance,
"but the announcement soon turned out to be an
April fool's joke."
He added that the suspended NIS boss had shown
quite an unbeatable tolerance for corruption, which
was the second biggest challenge of his
administration, after the passport scam, emphasising
that, "not a single indicted passport officer had been
successfully prosecuted since he came on board.
"Under the watchful eyes of Parradang, some officers
linked to the dreaded Boko Haram group are still on
the Immigration payroll, thereby denting our hard
earned integrity."
LEADERSHIP Sunday recalls that President
Muhammadu Buhari on Friday announced the
immediate suspension of the comptroller-general of
Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Mr David Shikfu
Parradang, from office.
The suspension was contained in an earlier
statement dated August 21, 2015, and signed by the
director of press, Ministry of Interior, Yusuf Ishiaka
Alhaji, on behalf of the permanent secretary of the
ministry.
According to the statement, the most senior officer of
the NIS, deputy comptroller-general of Immigration,
Martin Kure Abeshi, was directed to take over the
affairs of the office.
However, another statement also dated August 21,
2015, and signed by a director/secretary in the
ministry in charge of Civil Defence, Fire, Immigration
and Prisons Services Board, Mr A.A. Ibrahim,
specifically gave official explanations on why the
immigration boss was suspended.
Parradang's major 'sins', according to the ministry's
statement, were that he issued letters of appointment
of 700 assistant inspectors of Immigration and 900
Immigration Assistants lll into the service without
approval.
The embattled immigration boss was also accused of
refusing to take necessary measures to correct the
alleged wrongdoing, despite repeated advice given to
him by the ministry, which was said to have been
conveyed to him 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.
Among other reasons for Parradang's removal, was
the controversy surrounding the possession of a
valid Nigerian Visa by an Islamic State of Iraq and
Syria (ISIS) leader, Imam Ahmed Al-Assir, in Lebanon.
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