CDCFIB Decorates 16 Promoted Senior Paramilitary Officers

The Civil Defence, Correctional, Immigration and Fire Services Board, CDCFIB has decorated sixteen newly promoted senior officers across the paramilitary agencies in what has been described as a break from years of bureaucratic stagnation and silent injustice.

The Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo while decorating the officers in Abuja commended the federal government, under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for rewriting the story of career progression in Nigeria’s paramilitary agencies under the ministry of interior.

The newly decorated officers emerged from the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Federal Fire Service (FFS), and Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), institutions often haunted by delayed promotions and vacant leadership seats.

Dr. Tunji-Ojo described the ceremony not merely as a recognition of individuals, but as a landmark moment in the ongoing structural reform of Nigeria’s paramilitary institutions.

According to him, this latest batch of senior appointments reflects the administration’s unwavering resolve to end systemic stagnation that had, for years, crippled morale and denied deserving officers their rightful advancement.

“When we assumed office, stagnation was the order of the day. Many competent and knowledgeable officers retired without ever having the opportunity to be recognised or to rise to the level they truly earned, but President Tinubu changed that story. This government came in to break that jinx, and today we’re seeing the results.”

The minister emphasised that 80 percent of the officers being decorated had previously been elevated to Assistant Comptrollers, Commandants, or Controllers-General under the Tinubu administration, proving that career progression is no longer decided by who you know, but by what you’ve done.

The Minister also lauded President Tinubu for giving unprecedented attention to the welfare of paramilitary officers, citing the approval of salary increases, the introduction of peculiar allowances, and the most recent policy of salary for life for retired CGs and DCGs as clear evidence of the present government’s commitment.

He also called for a redefinition of agency mandates, noting that the promotions are not just about filling vacancies but about repositioning the services to deliver real value.

Dr. Tunji-Ojo challenged the newly decorated officers to not just wear their new ranks, but to embody them by becoming role models for those coming behind.

He added that the essence of the reforms was not just to reward the top echelon but to create a culture where every officer, regardless of rank, believes in the system and sees a clear path to progress.

Earlier, the secretary of the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Board ( CDCFIB) Retired Major General Abdulmalik Jibril gave the breakdown of the decorated officers as 6 from NIS, 3 from NSCDC, 4 from NCoS and 3 from the Federal Fire Service .

He commended the officers for their dedication and urged them to uphold professionalism, discipline, and integrity in their new roles.

Nkiru Njemanze, Edited By Grace Namiji