BREAKING: Uneasy Calm In Nigerian Prisons As CGP Jafaru Retires In July

Several sources within the prison service confided in Mouthpiece NG that there has being an uneasy calm among the cadres of Officers of Nigerian Prisons Service (NPS) across the nation, as the tenure of the current Comptroller General of Prisons expires on July 16th , 2019. 

Sources close to the service hinge the current tension on the administrative style of the Kebbi State born CGP, who has been alleged of age falsification, bribery and record adjustment with a view to perpetuating himself in office; ever since he assumed the mantle of leadership on May 17Th, 2016. 

According to NPS documents in the possession of Mouthpiece NG, Mr. Ahmed joined the service on 30 November 1985, at the age of 28. He was posted to the administrative unit at the NPS headquarters.

The documents gave Mr. Ahmed’s date of birth when he joined the service on  July 21, 1957. The date of birth remained consistent until 2015 when Mr. Ahmed sliced two years off his age and arrived at a date of birth of  July 21, 1959. 

NPS documents listing members of the top echelon of the service in 2015 boldly showed Mr. Ahmed, an indigene of Jega Local Government Area of Kebbi State, as the sixth highest placed officer. The documents, however, showed a different date of birth to what he claimed at the time he enlisted in the service.

It was gathered that the age falsification was encouraged by retired General Abdulrahman Bello Dambazzau, the Minister of the Interior, who wanted Mr. Ahmed to become the GG of the NPS and spent some time on the post before he retires. The implication of the falsification is that Mr. Ahmed has fraudulently gained two extra years in service.

Coupled with this development is the existing manouvering, scheming and backstabbing which characterised the current secessionist struggle among the eligible senior officers of the service among whom a successor to CGP could be named.

 It would be recalled that in 2016, CGP Jafaru took over from Dr. Peter Ekpendu  in what was tagged as a Civilian Coup detat, having schemed out Emmanuel Ogundele barely one week after he was made Acting CGPS.

However, the tenure of the current CGP Jafaru has witnessed repressive tendencies more than all the tenures of previous CGPs. Under his watch as the number one prison officer, Jafaru has been alleged of dismissing, demoting and suspending personnel of the service, both senior and junior at will. 

It has been indeed a ‘reign of terror’ in the Nigerian Prison Service. He was accused of being suspicious of everybody because of his integrity question, hence he has dealt with both real and perceived enemies summarily.

Despite the fact that his service records showed that he supposed to have retired on July 27Th, 2017, he was alleged to have altered his documents to prolong his exit date till July 2019. Be that as it may, with about three months to end his tenure, the race for who 

becomes a new CGP is hotting up. But the fears being expressed by both senior and junior officers of the service is that of same question whether the man would be ready to leave?

The palpable fear then is that with the enourmous influence the man wields in the presidency, he might still be willing to stay put in office more than necessary. In view of this, the successionist calculation among the officers of the service has been very difficult, especially with the rumours of a possible tenure elongation for Jaafaru, who is well connected in the presidency. Albeit, the prayer of all and sundry now in the service is that his links in the presidency should not assist him in getting another tenure elongation.

The source observed that with his overbearing influence which has rendered the board of Civil Defence, Fire, Immigration and Prisons Service (CDFIPB) useless, anything could 

happen in favour of tenure elongation for Jaafaru. Recalling his exploit since he assumed leadership of the service, sources in the NPS revealed that he determines the officers to be promoted, while those in his bad book are left in the lush. It was alleged that even when the board has approved a list of promoted officers, the CGP could still doctor it to suit his whilms and caprices, thereby assuming the power to promote a junior officer over his senior to the extent that while some 2009 officers are promoted, those of 2006 are left out, even when they are equipped with impeccable records.

The service, which supposed to have six Deputy Comptroller Generals (DCG), apart from CGPS could only boast of two substantive DCGPs since Jaafaru has denied the remaining four prospective officers their deserved promotions. The source further alleged that all the 8 Zonal Coordinators are Controllers instead of being promoted to the rank of Assistant Controller General (ACG), not because they are not qualified officers, but due to the fact he simply refused to allow them to gain promotion. What an agenda to stagnate other prospective officers of the service?

However, just as the successionist struggle continues, a cursory look into previous appointments showed that the next CGP should come from the Southern part of the country to ensure equitable distribution of power, especially against the background of the Northernisation of all Military and Para-Military Agencies in the country.

Past CGPS since 1990 till date are as follows:-

1. 1990 – 1994 Mr Joshua Lily Ojo-First CGP-Edo/South

2. 1994 – 1996- Alhaji Gora G. Baidu(borno)-North

3. 1996- 2002 Alhaji Ibrahim Jarma(Bauchi)North

4. 2002- 2004 Barr. Abraham J. Akpe (Benue)North

5. 2004- 2006 Uche O. kalu (Imo)South

6. 2006 – 2011 Chief Olu Ogundipe (Ogun) South

7. 2011- 2014 Zakari O.Ibrahim (Nasarawa) North

8. 2014- Alhaji Aminu Suley (Adamawa) North

9. 2014 – 2016 Dr Peter Ekpendu (Imo) South

10. May 2016 –till- date- Ahmed Jega Jaafaru (Kebbi) North

Nevertheless, in trying to zone the appointment to the Southern part of the country, the three geo-political zones: namely South-West, South-East and South- South will have to slug it out. Both South-West and South-East have at one time or the other produced the position of CGP, leaving only the South-South that has not been opportuned to occupy the post, a development which is considered to be tantamount to crash maginalisation of the  zone. But against the background of the injustice done to the south west when ACG Emmanuel Ogundele was dropped for Ahmed Jaafaru Jega in 2016, it would not be a bad idea to assuage the pains of the South-West if the appointment of the next CGP comes from there after July 2019. 

Who are the eligible Officers from the three zones?

South-West Zone

1. ACG Tajudeen Aremu

2. ACG Tunde Ladipo

3. ACG Kassali O. Yusuff

South-South zone

1. ACG John Mrabune

2. ACG C V U Chiabua

South-East zone

1. ACG Ahaotu

2. ACG Slyle Nwakwuche

Source: Documents obtained by Mouthpiece NG