Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) officers serving in foreign missions have again cried out over the non-payment of their salaries and other allowances, saying it has now reached up to 14 months.
The officers who are serving in different countries abroad have been expressing their plights since last year over the same non-payment of salaries, and that it has caused them suffering and untold hardship.
They described their ordeal as ‘abandonment’ on the part of the authorities, saying that the worst part is that their suffering is in a foreign land/other people’s country where they have no one to run to for support, except their salaries which they depend on for survival.
Speaking on their current situation, they said the last time they received payment was june 2024, adding that there are about five Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) on foreign mission implementing government policies abroad, but that
none of these agencies are owed more than three months except only Immigration services.
According to them, many of them have been sending their families back to Nigeria due to their inability to feed them, and that some of them have to be calling their relatives back in Nigeria to send them money, of which the reverse was supposed to have been the case.
One of the officers pointed out that some of their colleagues have lost their lives because of insufferable living conditions, and that they have been crying out since last year to the government to intervene but that their cries have been fallen on dead ears.
“Now we are owed over 14 months. The last time I received a single payment was june 2024. In a very expensive country like this.
“It will interest you to know that there are about five MDAs at the foreign mission sent by the federal government, none of these agencies are owed more than three months but only Immigration services, yet we are generating revenue both directly and indirectly to the government apart from the security of the country.
“Another question begging for an answer is that Immigration Service has three important votes in its budget capital, recurrent and personnel cost. The service has never had issues with either capital or recurrent votes but only personnel, which contains our allowances.
“Some believe that the service is always more concerned about pushing for capital and recurrent vote because that’s where they can pay contractors and run their offices and that is where opportunity for padding can be done for personal benefit of few.
“Now we are in a serious pains and dilemma, and we cannot complain, neither can we report or voice out, because that will amount to indiscipline. And as we continue keeping silent, we are dying silently, and worse still we are sending a very wrong and dangerous signal that all is well with us.
“Regardless of all this, one good thing is that the immigration officers on mission abroad have been maintaining good discipline, good work ethics and integrity, and you hardly see any report of extortions, shoddy deals or misconduct from the officers,” the source said.
According to the officer, their harsh working conditions has united them from across the various countries where they are serving in order to keeping voicing out their ordeal so that the authorities can come to their rescue.
They also pointed out that you are hearing rumours of arrangement been made to pay them three months, but that even if it is true the three months is grossly inadequate.
They revealed that paying a little fraction from large sums owed them is already becoming a norm in the immigration, and their fear is that whenever such little fraction from the huge amount owed them is paid, they will again be abandoned for a long time.
They questioned what the three months payment can do for them now that they have been thrown into huge debts and other commitments.
When contacted, the Service Public Relations Officer (SPRO), Assistant Comptroller of Immigration, A.S. Akinlabi, said he will get back, but until the time of press he didn’t get back.