Appointment negates civil service rules, says lawyer
Officers and men of the Nigeria Immigration Service are reportedly frowning at perceived plans by the Federal Government to extend the tenure of acting Comptroller General (CG) of Immigration, Mrs. Carol Adepoju Wura-Ola, by another six months.

On May 30, 2023, President Bola Tinubu had appointed Wura-Ola, a retired officer, as acting CG. The decision by the President, however, generated reactions, with some Nigerians perceiving the act as unlawful because two other senior officials of the service were seemingly overlooked.

Her appointment was expected to last three months, expiring in August. According to sources, however, there are indications there could be an extension for another six months, a move that is reportedly not sitting well with top officers and men of the service.

Efforts to contact the NIS Public Relations Officer failed.

An insider, who craved anonymity, said: “What makes the situation even more critical is the fact that she has officially retired from the Immigration Service, and the Immigration Act does not allow retired personnel to head the Service.”

Meanwhile, an Abuja-based legal practitioner, Maxwell Opara, has approached a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja to challenge her appointment as acting CG.

Opara said the appointment of Wura-Ola, who has since retired after completing 35 years in service, is illegal.

The suit seeks interpretation of Section 3 of the Immigration Act 2015, Section 69 of the Immigration (Supplementary Act) 2017, and Section 8 of the Public Service Rules, among others.

Opara argues that the combined reading of these provisions makes the appointment of a retired officer to the position of CG wrong.

In a letter addressed to President Tinubu, Opara, who is also a human rights activist, said her appointment created an ugly, unlawful, illegal, immoral and demoralising situation within NIS.

He said Wura-Ola, having reached the mandatory retirement age on May 31, 2023, should have retired from the NIS, urging Tinubu to take immediate action by appointing a qualified serving officer of NIS as CG.