Board approves promotion of 27,624 officers in four paramilitary services
- The Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board approved promotions for 27,624 personnel at its meeting in Abuja.
- The NSCDC got the largest share with 17,343 officers, followed by Correctional Service, Immigration and Fire Service.
- The board also cleared 228 pending disciplinary cases and approved a healthcare policy for the four services.
The Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board has approved the promotion of 27,624 officers across four paramilitary services.
The services are the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), the Nigerian Correctional Service, the Nigeria Immigration Service and the Federal Fire Service.
The board's secretary, Maj. Gen. Abdulmalik Jibril (retd.), gave the breakdown while briefing journalists on the outcome of the board's meeting in Abuja on Thursday.
According to him, the NSCDC accounts for the largest share with 17,343 officers promoted. The Nigerian Correctional Service follows with 4,601, the Nigeria Immigration Service with 4,097 and the Federal Fire Service with 1,583.
Jibril said the promotions were meant to clear years of stagnation and lift the morale of personnel. He described the scale as unprecedented.
Leadership reported that the approvals were tied to President Bola Tinubu's promise to address delayed career progression in the services. The Sun reported that the board is chaired by the Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo.
Discipline and health
The board also disposed of 228 disciplinary cases that had been pending. Jibril said various measures were approved and communicated to those affected, but he did not give a breakdown of the cases or the sanctions.
He said the aim was to keep a disciplined workforce whose members conduct themselves properly on duty.
A healthcare policy framework was also approved, intended to keep officers fit and well enough to do their work.
The Sun reported that the board said the recruitment portal will open between 28 October and 13 November for candidates to check their status and obtain a code. Candidates are to take a mandatory drug test at the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) office in their state before collecting appointment letters in Abuja.
The board said the recruitment is part of a plan to bring in over 120,000 young personnel across the services within four years.
What happens next
Candidates from the ongoing recruitment should watch for the portal opening on 28 October and prepare for the drug test in their states.
