By Bode Olagoke
Abuja
The Nigerian Prison Service top guns are currently waging a make-or-mar cold war against each other in an effort to be devoured by the federal government over the vacuum created by the retirement of the former Controller General, Ibrahim Ohinoyi Zakari.
The battle is solely between six Deputy Controller Generals (DCGs) and few out of the 11 Assistant Controller Generals (ACGs) over who becomes the next chief executive of the service.
The post of the Controller General became vacant after Zakari reached the retirement age seven weeks ago, thereby giving Mr. Aminu A. Suley an opportunity to be appointed the acting CG.
Blueprint gathered that the six DCGs, which included DCG Suley, DCG Ekpendu P.E., DCG Bewaji Segun, DCG Dagaci Y.A., Ag. DCG Saraki Umaru Ahmed and Ag. DCG Udom Ekpedeme, had been running from pillar to post to save their jobs as a result of an alleged plot by some Assistant Controller Generals who were contending the apex post with them.
Top among the ACGs contending for the job are Salihi Ali Bala, Bogunjoko B.K., Gwali Wayep, Shehu Usman Kangiwa, Falke A.A., Jafaru Ahmed, Nuhu Zuru Ibrahim, Usman Musa, Afujue Raymond Chuks, Ogundele E. Oladepo and Kori B. Hussina.
Sources at the national headquarters of the Service confided in Blueprint that while the DCGs are fighting hard to get one of them appointed, while others still remain in service.
Our correspondent also learnt on good authority that the ACGs had been making strong contacts in the Presidency to get rid of some of the DCGs, alleging that some of them had stayed longer than expected in the service.
One of the sources, a senior officer, alleged that Suley had never been a zonal coordinator in any of the zonal commands, neither has he ever headed any Prison Training Institution, which are all prerequisites for any officer to assume position of the Controller General.
The source alleged further that Suley had been on the rank of Deputy Controller General for eight years.
It was further gathered that the affected senior officers are now doing everything possible to discredit each other before the general public.
When contacted, the service spokesman, Ope Fatinukun, described the acting CG as a “Godly man,” saying his position on the matter had always been “if it is the will of God.”
On the allegation an officer must have headed a prisons training institution to be qualified as CG, Fatinikun said he was not aware of such rule, insisting that Suley had not spent up to eight years as DCG.