Nigerian Immigration Personnel Threaten Nationwide Strike Over Unpaid Arrears and Salary Discrepancies
By Okafor Joseph Afam, December 4, 2024
Personnel of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) have vowed to proceed with a planned nationwide protest over the non-payment of promotion arrears and the failure of the Nigerian government to place promoted officers on their new salary scales. Despite threats from NIS authorities, including the Comptroller-General, Kemi Nanna Nandap, to discourage the action, the personnel remain resolute.
“We are not happy at all, and it seems strike is the only language the Nigerian government understands,” one personnel stated. Another officer added, “We’re planning a nationwide strike over unnecessary salary deductions and the government’s failure to pay our arrears. We also haven’t been able to view our payslips for over six months.”
The strike is in response to salary discrepancies and the continued failure to address long-standing grievances. Officers have reported that they are unable to view their payslips and have been subjected to unexplained deductions from their salaries for months.
In response, the NIS has urged its officers to remain professional and refrain from participating in the planned strike. An internal memo from Adamu Duguri, the Comptroller of Immigration Service for Gombe State, emphasized the importance of maintaining order and professionalism. He assured personnel that the Service Headquarters is addressing the concerns raised but warned against any actions that might disrupt public service.
SaharaReporters previously reported that officers from various paramilitary services, including the Nigeria Prisons Service and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), have expressed frustration over unpaid promotion arrears and salary deductions. They have called on President Bola Tinubu to intervene and investigate the situation, citing that colleagues in other agencies, such as the Federal Fire Service, have already received their allowances.
In response to the widespread discontent, the Secretary of the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire, and Immigration Services Board, Ahmed Ja’afaru, assured officers that an investigation is underway. He urged the personnel to remain calm as efforts are being made to resolve the issue promptly.
