ABUJA, NIGERIA — In a surprising last-minute move, Rauf Aregbesola, the outgoing Minister of Interior, has appointed Adepoju Carol Wura-Ola, a recently retired Deputy Comptroller General (DCG) of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), as the acting Comptroller General of the service.
Carol Wura-Ola, who retired on Wednesday, May 31, 2023 after reaching the compulsory 35 years of service, was due to step away from the Immigration Service entirely.
However, the latest appointment by Aregbesola has repositioned her to oversee the agency, even as she stands on the brink of retirement.
Carol Wura-Ola, born July 13, 1963, first joined the NIS on May 31, 1988, and was expected to retire on May 31, 2023, according to documents obtained by PRNigeria.
However, an unexpected twist came with a statement from the federal government via the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board, dated May 26, 2023.
In the statement, newly appointed Secretary of the Board, Ja’afaru Ahmed, announced Carol Wura-Ola’s appointment as the acting Comptroller-General, effective from May 30, 2023.
Ahmed wrote, “I write to convey the approval of the Chairman of the Board for you to cover duties of the Office of the Comptroller General, Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) as the most senior Deputy Comptroller General (DCG).”
He further urged her to utilize her vast experience in her new role and to continue the ongoing transformation of the Service.
This move by Aregbesola, appointing a high-ranking official just days before President Buhari’s handover, has certainly stirred intrigue in the political arena.
With Carol Wura-Ola’s new mandate and the transition of political power in Nigeria, observers are watching keenly to see how these changes will impact the Nigerian Immigration Service’s operations.
Muhammadu Buhari’s government has been marked with series of abnormally in appointments. He has run the most nepotic and parochial in Nigeria’s history. He appointed a retired Nigerian major, a crony, Major Hammed Ali (Rtd), as the boss of Nigeria’s customs service against the organisation’s tradition and rules that require a serving officer as the Director-General.
