CSO Faults Alleged Tenure Elongation In Quarantine Service

The African Leadership Strategy & Transparency Development Initiative (ALSTDI), a civil society organisation, has urged President Bola Tinubu to order an investigation into the tenure of the Director-General and Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS), Dr Vincent Isegbe.

A petition signed by the organisation’s Executive Director, Comrade Nelson Ossaieze, and addressed through Mr Muri Okunola, the Principal Private Secretary to the President, alleged alterations in provisions of the NAQS Establishment Act to extend the Director-General’s tenure.

The petition claimed that the law governing the agency was altered to create a basis for extending his tenure beyond the legal limit.

It also alleged that sections of the law relating to the appointment and tenure of the Director-General were altered to influence government officials, which ultimately led to the Director-General’s reappointment.

According to the petition, Isegbe has held leadership positions within the agency since 2014, when he served as Coordinating Director, and later became Director-General in 2018. The group noted that he reportedly reached the mandatory retirement age of 60 in March 2021 but had continued to occupy leadership positions within the agency.

The CSO argued that the original executive bill establishing NAQS provided for a single five-year tenure for the Director-General. The group claimed that after the bill was passed by the National Assembly, provisions were allegedly inserted to allow for a second five-year term.

The organisation further alleged that these changes were made after the legislative process had been completed and before the bill received presidential assent. It suggested that signatures and official endorsements on some versions of the law should be investigated to determine their authenticity.

The group traced the history of the legislation, stating that the original bill to establish NAQS was first passed in 2010 but was not signed into law before the end of the administration in office at the time. It said the bill was later reconsidered by the National Assembly and passed again before eventually receiving presidential assent.

According to ALSTDI, the original version of the bill clearly stated that the Director-General would serve a single term of five years. The group argued that this was consistent with public service regulations, which place limits on the tenure of heads of government agencies.

The petition also claimed that different versions of the NAQS law were published on the agency’s website over the years. ALSTDI said these versions contained varying provisions regarding the tenure and qualifications of the Director-General.

The first version, according to the group, was published as the NAQS Act 2017 and lacked key endorsement and certification pages. The second version, described as the NAQS Act 2018, allegedly introduced a provision allowing the Director-General to serve two five-year terms. The group argued that this version also lacked proper certification.

ALSTDI further alleged that a third version appeared on the agency’s website in 2025. It claimed that the document contained suspicious signatures and formatting differences when compared with other laws signed around the same period.

A major concern raised by the organisation relates to provisions requiring that the Director-General be a serving officer within the agency.

According to ALSTDI, earlier versions of the legislation included this requirement, but it was allegedly removed in later versions to facilitate Isegbe’s continued stay in office after retirement.

The group stated that Isegbe completed his initial five-year tenure as Director-General on December 13, 2023, and subsequently handed over to the most senior officer in the agency, Dr Audu Godwin Sunday, in an acting capacity.

However, ALSTDI said that in March 2024, Isegbe returned to office following a letter from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation indicating that he had been reappointed for another five-year term, effective from December 13, 2023.

The organisation argued that the reappointment was unlawful because it allegedly violated both the provisions of the agency’s enabling law and the Public Service Rules.

According to the group, federal public service regulations limit the tenure of heads of government agencies and do not permit service beyond prescribed retirement conditions.

ALSTDI further claimed that concerned staff members had previously protested and submitted petitions regarding the matter. It alleged that the confusion surrounding the different versions of the NAQS law has undermined the credibility of the agency’s legal framework.

The organisation urged the ICPC, the Presidency, the DSS, the National Assembly, the Attorney-General of the Federation, the Nigeria Police Force, and the Ministry of Agriculture to investigate the allegations and determine whether any laws were violated.

The group maintained that Isegbe’s reappointment should be reviewed and, if found to be inconsistent with the law, reversed in the public interest.