Muhammad Babandede, the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), has retired after 36 years of service.
Idris Isah Jere, the Deputy Comptroller General in charge of Finance and Accounts, will serve as interim Comptroller General until President Muhammadu Buhari appoints a substantive Comptroller General.
On the 15th of May 2016, Babandede took over as Comptroller General of the NIS, succeeding Martin Kure Abeshi.
He implemented several reforms in the Service, the most notable of which were the digitalization of activities, decentralization of passport issuing, and the implementation of the Visa of Arrival policy.
Speaking at a valedictory session organised in his honour on Friday, Babandede said; “I have left Immigration better than I found it.”
While acknowledging that he was able to achieve so much as a result of the help he received from his personnel, Babandede appealed to his successor not to “throw away the ideas we stand for”.
He added: “Keep the good things and drop the bad ones.”
The retired CG, who promised to be an ambassador of the NIS, said he will always be ready to assist whenever he is called on by the Service.
Babandede spent five years and four months as the Comptroller General of the Service.
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