The Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, has said that the Federal Government would ensure that a worthy successor is found to lead the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) through transparency and due process.
This, according to him, will ensure that the transformational gains recorded under the leadership of the out-gone comptroller-general of the service, Muhammad Babandede, are sustained and built upon.
Aregbesola disclosed this, yesterday, while speaking during the pulling out parade of the 16th Comptroller-General of Immigration at the NIS Headquarters parade ground in Abuja.
The minister, who represented President Muhammadu Buhari at the occasion, said Babandede remains one of Nigeria’s finest immigration officers because of the unprecedented transformation he has brought to the agency hence, making Nigeria a country of worth internationally and the only African country that is able to meet the international requirement of uploading data of missing and stolen international passports on the INTERPOL system.
He said: “His tenure is the most remarkable in the annals of the NIS because under him, the NIS has consistently published a yearly report, built the technology building, which is a repository for all data on land, air, water and all borders of Nigeria and developed a border management manual, among others.
“The process of selecting the new CG is not arbitrary. It is following a due process and that is why somebody is standing in for that process to be completed. We must commend the President for allowing due process and not just arbitrary impunity.
“He is the first CG to be ceremoniously pulled out because he has written his name in gold through his numerous reforms and giant efforts.”
He said though some projects started by the retired comptroller-general were still uncompleted, he, however, explained that no human completes a project, promising that the project would be continued from were Babandede stopped and praised him for making his job as a minister less challenging.
In his last formal appearance, the retiring CG urged the NIS to sustain the gains of his tenure. He said he left the NIS better than he met it, but promised that though he is now retired, he would be ready to offer advice when called upon by the Service and his nation.