The federal government has announced plans to begin screening and examinations for senior cadre officers in the nation’s paramilitary services to address vacancies at top management levels.
The Chairman of the Civil Defence, Corrections, Fire, and Immigration Service Board and Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, disclosed this during a media briefing in Abuja. He stated that the vacancies exist at senior managerial levels across the Federal Fire Service, the Nigeria Immigration Service, the Nigerian Correctional Service, and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.
To fill these gaps, officers below the ranks of Deputy Controllers and Assistant Controllers will be considered for promotion within the next month. Tunji-Ojo explained that many services currently lack deputy controller generals, and in line with the federal character principle, these positions must be filled immediately.
Represented by the Controller-General of the Federal Fire Service, Engineer Jaji Abdulganiyu, the minister emphasised that a rigorous screening and examination process would be conducted to select eligible officers for key positions.
He noted that some agencies currently have officers covering duties without formal appointments, which is not ideal for effective governance. To address this, the accreditation of officers for the exercise will take place from March 9 to March 11, with the entire process expected to be concluded by the end of March.
Tunji-Ojo also revealed that discussions were held regarding the official handbook for the board, with an approval process underway. Once finalised, the handbook will be distributed to all services and made accessible to the public.