From Lateef Dada, Osogbo
Civil Society Organizations (CSO), have petitioned the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), to investigate the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Isah Idris, over their plan to travel beyond his tenure of office.
The group in a petition signed by Ayo Ologun, on behalf of Transparency and Accountability Group (TAG) Centre for Sustainable Dialogue, Media Rights, a copy of which was made available to our correspondent on Friday, disclosed that the CG is planning to embark on a foreign trip till April 25 when his tenure is expected to end on April 24.
The letter reads: “As attached in this letter, the tenure of acting CG statutorily ended on the 24th of April 2022 but by the decision of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as so accorded by the law, his tenure was elongated by a year, evident of which is provided in this letter.
“Relying on the letter of extension assigned by the chief of staff to the president, the one-year elongation ends on the 24th of April, 2023 provided no further elongation is given which until the moment of writing this letter to you is nonexistent.
“Where a such letter is nonexistent, it can be rightly concluded that the acting CG is to vacate office before or on the 24th of April 2023 and any action taken or processes embarked upon run foul of the subsisting Public law.
“Where this is the case, we shall be constrained to approach a Court of Law, to seek interpretations on whether the Executive power of the CG is self-renewable without the consent or otherwise of the president.
“Meanwhile, a letter was issued from the office of the CG as to the effect of an official trip and the letter (as attached) stated that the CG will be away from the 13th of April to the 25th of April when his tenure would have been duly and officially terminated.
“Sir, this is an act of corruption as the question arises as to what the CG is returning as on the 25th of April having exhausted his tenure by the 24th, and on whose bill the expenses of the extra day(s) in office would be. Not that of the taxpayer’s money albeit illegally.
“As a civil society organization with whom you have the responsibility of fostering support in combating corruption, we bring this to your notice and ask that you act in the defense of our law and its provisions,” the letter added.