Multiple sources who include affected personnel confirmed to SaharaReporters officers in NCS Zone H comprising Benue, Nasarawa, Kogi and Plateau were forced to pay N2000 each.
Authorities of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCS) have mandated personnel attending the 2023 promotion examinations to pay N2000 each, SaharaReporters can report.
Multiple sources who include affected personnel confirmed to SaharaReporters officers in NCS Zone H comprising Benue, Nasarawa, Kogi and Plateau were forced to pay N2000 each.
SaharaReporters had last Thursday reported that the NCS Zone ‘H’, Makurdi Zonal headquarters demanded a total sum of N1,578,000 from four commands under it namely, Benue, Nasarawa, Kogi, Plateau, and Zone ‘H’ Makurdi, for the conduct of the 2023 senior officer’s promotion examinations.
The demand which is contained in a memo dated July 23, 2023, titled “Request for Your Support To Enable This Office Host 2023 Senior Officer's Promotion Examination” and signed on behalf of the zonal coordinator by the Assistant Controller of Corrections (H/R), Michael O. Obande, was to enable the office pay for hotel accommodations, venue for examinations, feeding, fuelling of cars for easy movements and attend to other necessary issue that may come up during the period.
Immediately after SaharaReporters reported the demand for the financial contribution, the NCS publicly announced that the directive had been rescinded.
In a memo with Ref NCOS/ZH/GEN. 15/VOL.1/16, dated July 27, 2023, titled: "Request For Your Support To Enable This Office Host 2023 Senior Officer's Promotion Examination. Withdrawal Of," the zonal headquarters ordered that no command under the Zone was authorised to task any staff financially for the exercise or any other intent supposedly connected to the exercise.
The memo which was signed by S.D. Kinane, Zonal Coordinator Zone "H" Makurdi, was addressed to the Controller of Corrections, Nigerian Correctional Service, State Headquarters Office —Benue, Nasarawa, Kogi, and Plateau.
The memo had read, "I wish to draw your attention to an earlier circular via No: NCOS/ZH/GEN.15/VOL.1/15 and dated 25/07/23 in respect of the subject in reference, and to inform you that the document relating to the conduct of the forthcoming promotion exercise which emanated from the office of the Zonal Coordinator, Zone 'H' is hereby withdrawn and its contents retracted.
"Consequently, no Command under the Zone is authorised to task any staff financially for the exercise or any other intent supposedly connected to the exercise. You are therefore warned as this retraction supersedes the previous document which should henceforth be treated invalid and of no moment.
"Accord the contents of this circular with the utmost seriousness and compliance it deserves, please," its reads.
However, multiple sources who spoke to SaharaReporters said that despite the memo released to the public that no Zone is authorised to task any staff financially for the exercise, they were forced to pay N2000 each.
The sources who are personnel of NCS accused the authorities of deceiving Nigerians.
“Do you know the Nigeria Correctional Service later went against the memo asking its personnel not to contribute money for the promotion examinations? They only released the memo to divert Nigerians attention from the media especially SaharaReporters. It’s nothing but full deceit.
“Immediately after the memo, all affected officers under each zone were called for staff briefing and we were all mandated to pay N2000 each for the exercise.
“The amount of corruption going on in Nigeria Correctional Service is alarming,” one of the sources told SaharaReporters.
Another prison official added, “The payments were shared according to each zone. Like the Correctional training school in Owerri, Imo State was told to raise N67,000 and it was shared among staff. We were the ones who raised the money.
“All ‘ogas’ heading each correctional centers are meant to ask staff under them to collectively raise the money, they were mandated from national headquarters in Abuja.
“Each correctional officer has his or her own amount to contribute before going for the promotion interview.”
When contacted, spokesperson for the NCoS, Abubakar Umar, said such directive wasn’t given by the Controller General.
He said, “The alleged information is not on my desk and I can tell you that no directive was given by the Controller General for such payments.
“All eligible staff for promotion are expected to be at their respective venues to sit for the examination.
“The welfare of staff and inmates remains premium in the administration of the Controller General of Corrections, Haliru Nababa. He will not tolerate any act that is inimical to the mandates of the Service, and in same vein will reward excellence and hard work. The CG has shown this by activating the Reward Fund unit.”