Human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has faulted the continued stay in office of three top security officials who, according to him, have exceeded the mandatory 35-year service limit but remain in their positions in violation of civil service rules.
Sowore, in a statement issued on Sunday, described the extension of their tenures as a “slap at national integrity” and a gross disregard for institutional norms and legality.
“These officers in the @PoliceNG, @CustomsNG, and @nigimmigration have exceeded the 35-year service limit and should have retired, but due to tribal favouritism, they remain in office,” he said.
Although Sowore alluded to ethnic bias, his main concern was the breach of longstanding service regulations that stipulate automatic retirement after 35 years of service or upon attaining 60 years of age — whichever comes first.
The officers he referred to include the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, the Comptroller-General, Nigeria Immigration Service, Kemi Nandap and the Comptroller-General, Nigeria Customs Service, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi.
“Their continued stay in service and office is a violation of service rules and a slap at national integrity. This is not governance, it’s ethnic capture,” Sowore emphasised, calling on the Federal Government to reverse the tenure extensions and uphold the rule of law.
He also warned that flouting such statutory rules not only damages the credibility of the civil service but also sets a dangerous precedent for executive impunity.
“For us, justice and institutional order are non-negotiable. You can’t build a functional democracy on the back of selective application of rules. Once you hit the 35-year mark, you retire. No one is above that,” Sowore added.
As of the time of this report, the presidency and the respective security agencies have yet to respond to the concerns raised.
