An Address Delivered By Aisha Yesufu to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, at the Second #NigeriaImmigration2000 March Held on the 16th of August 2016

The SGF, Members of the press, Ladies and Gentlemen.

Today, we have yet again and unfortunately so, embarked on another peaceful march to the office of the SGF because our demands have not only remained unmet but also because it appears the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has now made herculean demands for the reinstatement of the #NigeriaImmigration2000.

Here yet again, are the members of the #NigeriaImmigration2000, who as you know have been greatly wronged by this country and instead of resorting to other means, have rather done the very opposite and have in the recognition of the social contract between government and the citizens, decided to bring their grievances to the government in a peaceful and orderly manner with the hope that justice will be done.

Instead of doing the right thing to reabsorb them as mandated by the House of Representatives in their resolution of 12th April 2016, only yesterday the 15th of August 2016 new stringent and needless criteria purportedly approved by the Nigeria Immigration Service; and the Civil Defence, Fire Service, Immigration, and Prisons Service Board, for reabsorption of #NigeriaImmigration2000 appeared in the national dailies.

The guideline for the screening are as follows:

1. Implementation of the CDFSIP “Age on Rank” policy
2. Drug tests
3. Certificate verification
4. Security clearance

The said publication, purportedly signed by the Comptroller-General of NIS, referred to “applicants for enrollment into the Service who were irregularly issued letters of employment in February 2015”.

It is pertinent to state categorically and without mincing words that this publication DOES NOT REFER TO #NigeriaImmigration2000.

These young men and women ARE NOT applicants for enrollment into NIS. They are the best 2000 recruited from among over 1 million applicants following laid down procedures which included open publications in the media for interested applicants. They wrote computer-based tests (CBT), passed several screenings, were employed and trained and have been officers and men of the Nigeria Immigration Service since May 2015. Where in the world are people issued employment letters referred to as “applicants”?

Second, their letters of employment were dated May 2015. No single one of these was retained in February 2015 as referred to in the publication.

Those, this publication meant to address are the ones the Service employed through the backdoor and issued letters of employment in February 2016, and/or any others. Certainly NOT #NigeriaImmigration2000.

This screening for reabsorption therefore cannot be regarded as their entry point as applicants, or an exercise for revalidating applicants. It is improper and a gross violation to treat or refer to them as “applicants”. A person who has received training, has been documented, issued a service number, and so on is no longer an applicant but an employee/recruit of the NIS. It is even worse to claim that their letters of employment were “irregularly issued”.

The “Age on Rank” policy (to place age restrictions/ceilings for ranks within the service), listed as the number one condition for reabsorption was made in 2016. This was months after the recruitment, documentation, and training of the #NigeriaImmigration2000 in 2015. Therefore screening out any individual on account of such retroactive rule/policy will occasion grave injustice and CANNOT stand.

This publication has not remedied the situation in any way, rather it has created a massive web of complications which is really needless because you can neither change the rules of a game halfway into the game nor retroactively apply a law to an event which happened before the coming into force of such policy.We therefore refuse to accept the “Age on Rank” policy or any other laws, rules or policies implemented to treat the #NigeriaImmigrarion200 as new employees, employed in 2016 or any time later than May 2015 and/or to rob them of 15 months of salary arrears and time put in the service, and to victimize them.
We view these conditions as no more than a Trojan horse and antics, to deny a large proportion of the #NigeriaImmigration2000 their jobs. It is robbing people of what is rightfully theirs. The #NigeriaImmigration2000 also runs the risk of losing arrears of salaries since May 2015 till date, seniority by year of service, retirement age and benefits, and so on.
We want to state categorically that it will also amount to graver injustice if their salary arrears for the past 15 months are unpaid or if any member is victimized on account of being at the forefront of this advocacy after all these months of suffering.

Notwithstanding the above, we all concede that they can engage in another documents, drugs and security screenings, if need be as long as it does not amount to the arbitrary disqualification of the recruits and the forfeiture of date of appointment, 15 months of accumulated salary arrears and other fringe benefits.

We therefore urge you to immediately mandate the Ministry of Interior; the Civil Defence, Fire service, Immigration Service, and Prisons Service Board; and the Nigeria Immigration Service to:
1. Issue an official circular, on proper NIS letterhead reinstating with immediate effect, each and every member of the #NigeriaImmigration2000 without referring to or regarding them as “applicants”, without claiming that their letters of employment were “irregularly issued”, and without the retroactive “Age on Rank” screening;
2. Issue immediately Appointment letters signed and dated May 2015 to the 400 Assistant Superintendents;
3. Pay up all their arrears of salary and other incentives from May 2015 to date and ensure that such injustice is never again repeats;
4. Offer unreserved apology for their unjust mistreatment for one whole year;
5. Desist from any action that can be interpreted as hindering the reabsorption, and/or victimizing any member of #NigeriaImmigration2000.

We once more wager our complete trust in your ability to finally lay to rest this gross injustice once and for all. However, may it be abundantly clear that if this matter is not resolved conclusively within the next 48 hours, we shall be left with no other option than to march in our numbers to engage with the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria himself come Friday 19th August, 2016 (which will be one day short of one full year of undergoing this grave injustice).

Thank you.