Lately, the Presidency has continued to weaken the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) by truncating career progression and replacing merit with personal loyalty and ethnic affiliation.
Under former President Muhammadu Buhari and President Bola Tinubu, tens of deputy inspectors general of Police and deputy comptroller-general on Immigration and customs were compulsorily retired before and after attaining the mandatory 60 years of age and 35 years in service.
As a result, competent officers have been forced into premature retirement mainly due to stagnation, political interference, favouritism and nepotism.
The tenures of the Comptroller-General of NCS, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi; Comptroller-General of NIS, Kemi Nanna Nandap and the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Kayode Egbetokun, were extended, forcing many of the officers who would have succeeded them into stagnation or retirement.
When the heads of these agencies attain the mandatory retirement age of 60 years or reach 35 years in service, whichever comes first, they will retire, according to the law. This would enable their deputies to succeed them.
But lately this rule has been altered by successive presidents, causing some senior officers to leave the service without the opportunity for them to get to the peak of their careers.
When people enter any service, they expect to rise through the ranks and eventually reach the peak of their careers. Refusing to allow those who have attained the mandatory age to retire undermines progression, particularly when competent officers are waiting to advance.
It can also breed frustration and weaken morale among officers who see limited opportunities for advancement despite years of service.
These officers could have been left to retire and later be considered for other strategic positions, without obstructing the career progression of those coming behind them.
The agencies need to be strengthened by creating opportunities for career progression, not weakened by decisions that undermine their institutional structure.
The truncation of career progression within these services should be discouraged. Motivation needs to be encouraged.