Nigerian Immigration Officers Shun Directives, Vow to Embark on Strike Over Unpaid Arrears

Despite warnings from authorities, some personnel of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) have declared their intent to go ahead with a nationwide strike to protest the nonpayment of promotion arrears and other financial grievances.

This decision comes amid mounting frustrations over delays in salary adjustments for promoted workers and a lack of transparency regarding payroll deductions.

The officers, who have been vocal about their dissatisfaction, dismissed attempts by NIS leadership, including Comptroller-General Kemi Nanna Nandap, to dissuade them from striking.

They accused the government and NIS management of employing intimidation tactics through state comptrollers and unit heads but maintained that the strike was inevitable.

We are not happy at all. It seems strike is the only language the Nigerian government understands, an officer told SaharaReporters.

Another officer expressed concerns about unexplained salary deductions and the inability to access payslips for over six months, compounding their grievances.

In response, NIS authorities have urged personnel to maintain professionalism and refrain from industrial action.

According to a memo sighted by Sahara Reporters, Adamu Duguri, Comptroller of the Gombe State Command, emphasised the importance of discipline, warning that striking contravenes Public Service Rules (PSR) 030413, which prohibit civil servants from disrupting public services.

The issues within the NIS are part of a larger wave of dissatisfaction among Nigeria’s paramilitary services.

Officers from the Nigeria Prisons Service and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) have also raised similar complaints, citing delayed promotion arrears and unexplained salary deductions.

Officers alleged that payments have not been made despite funds being allocated for their allowances. At the same time, counterparts in other agencies under the Ministry of Interior, such as the Federal Fire Service, have received their entitlements.

The Secretary of the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire, and Immigration Services Board, Ahmed Ja’afaru, responded to the allegations, promising a thorough investigation. In a statement, he reassured officers that the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, had directed the board to resolve the issues swiftly.

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