David Parradang: Tribute to a True Public Service Warrior

Solomon E. Leggjack

I

t  is  certainly for nothing that William Shakespeare acquainted humanity with the obnoxious phrase “Beware of the ides of March” – famously attributed to a soothsayer, who forewarned the Legendary Julius Caesar of a clear and present danger to his person.  This found expression on the 15th of March, ending his life abruptly and has ever since made the month of March synonymous with being a forerunner of misfortunes, ill luck or even death at the very worst.

It is the case that Monday, March 3, 2025 established itself as a veritable day of infamy in the apocalyptical breath of the “ides of March” – as satanic warriors took away the life of David S. Parradang in a rest house – and the next day, Tuesday, 4th March, 2025 deviously presented his lifeless body – as a “moral felon” to the public and to the grief of his immediate family and loved ones in particular.

David Shikfu Parradang OFR, mni (CGI/RTD) was born on September 6, 1959, obtained his First School Leaving Certificate (FSLC) with “Distinction” in 1972. He proceeded to Government College, Keffi for his secondary education and obtained the coveted “Division One” in June 1977. He further read Sociology at the University of Jos where he obtained his B.Sc, Second Class “Upper Division” (often referred to as the other side of First Class). He then undertook his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Anambra State. Upon completing service, he enlisted into the Immigration Department – (as it was then known) as Assistant Superintendent of Immigration (ASI) and later trained as a member of the Second Basic Course batch that passed out from ITSK -Kano in October 1983.

His career progression followed a steady and upward path from the “Superintendent Cadre” in 1982 to the “Comptroller’s Cadre” in 1992 – and his duty tours spanned several commands and workstations. His career development also followed a similar upward course as he pursued and earned a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the University of Lagos 1995 to 1997. He was thereafter admitted as a Comptroller of Immigration, into the Senior Executive Course (SEC) 29 of the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) Kuru from February – November 2007 – earning for him the sobriquet of Distinguished Member of the National Institute (mni). He was appointed by President Goodluck Jonathan to become the 14th Comptroller General of Immigration Service (CGIS) on June 10, 2013.

Late Mr. David Parradang’s appointment as CGIS broke the icy-calm atmosphere that pervaded NIS formations, beating frontline contenders to the post which occasioned a shocking but much needed break with the conventional practice of appointing the most senior officer to succeed a retiring CGIS. It must be added that he had the distinction of being the only officer in the history of the NIS to have served three successive CGIS as their SA – Operations.

His appointment marked a generational shift and the sheer scale of applause, joy and rejoicing by NIS personnel across all commands and formations over his appointment was amazing and unprecedented. The congratulatory dances, smiles, huggings and the like by NIS rank-and-file officers, who trooped out to welcome him upon his return from the Honourable Minister of Interior’s Office after his decoration with the insignia of his new rank remains arguably the grandest ever accorded any CGI either before or after him.

Parradang – upon assumption of office, became an Avant-Garde of a policy shift and directional focus for proper management of the NIS in particular and effective migration management strategy in general. He enunciated a four-point development blueprint namely: – Border Patrol, Internal Monitoring and Control, use of ICT and General Staff Welfare which he subjected to an NIS-wide plebiscite – across all Commands and formations with a time frame for the State Commands Comptrollers and heads of formations to submit suggestions and recommendations from personnel serving under them.

He thereafter empanelled a 13-man “Blueprint Steering Committee of Senior Officers” headed by the immensely cerebral Mr. Joseph O. Olaitan as Chairman. The Committee did an excellent job of their terms of reference and submitted its report to an elated CGI Parradang, who received same in a very formal session of officers and men of the service and presented it to the generality of NIS personnel as a working document.

This idea was new and the approach novel – but itworked like magic- even to the amazement of a few sceptics, who doubted the workability of this new approach to policy formulation and implementation. The changes that followed were multi-directional and came in torrents anyway. The first was the creation of a Border Patrol Corps in September 2013 and the training of personnel for Patrols along the nation’s expansive border areas with renewed Vigour. He also established 30 new land Border Control Posts and 27 additional border patrol bases – with equipment, all in September 2013. The icing of the cake was the establishment of the Border Patrol Command and Control-ICT driven centre at the SHQ.

The administrative, operational, and ICT-related changes came next and progressed apace. He directed the Secret Registry to undertake the verification of staff’s dates of birth and the genuineness of their academic credentials which unearthed an embarrassingly service-wide abuse of these two components of personal data. He acted without fanfare and swiftly sanctioned those affected. The operations area witnessed the abolition of re-entry permits for resident expatriates in line with global best practices, cleared passport backlogs and ensured integration of passport issuance with payments to block revenue leakages. He also cleared CERPAC backlogs with special task teams appointed for this purpose.

The NIS under him and for the first time was clothed with eight directorates by the new Act – each headed by a DCG. He created special commands such as Onne – Command, Idi-roko CP – Command, etc and increased the number of foreign missions where NIS personnel were posted for foreign service from 28 to 44. He also established additional CERPAC producing centres and passport offices in state commands that had a high incidence of applicants with emphasis on “Zero Tolerance” for bribe-taking in exchange for service delivery to the public. No officer or personnel ever dared to make any form of “returns” to him – throughout his tenure.

He made good his pledge on staff welfare and became the first CGI to pay Christmas bonuses to staff and regularly selected staff from the four NIS training institutions for preferential postings – both domestically and internationally – as both a motivation and a reward for hard work.

He took up the issue of the amendment of the Establishment Act of 1963, which was pending before the National Assembly and secured its passage into law as the new Immigration Act of May 2015. He subsequently constituted another panel headed by the amiable DCG J.O. Olaitan (of blessed memory) to draft a new Immigration Regulation in line with the Immigration Act, 2015 – which assignment was completed but could not be forwarded to the HMI before his removal from office.

However, we shall not forget to mention the unfortunate and failed nationwide recruitment exercise in the fall of 2014 during which some applicants lost their lives. This sparked public outrage – however, the public eventually later understood that there was no act of omission or commission by Mr. Parradang that caused this avoidable tragedy. Nonetheless, he was well loved by his officers and personnel for his humility of spirit, honesty of purpose, compassion and respect for all-accessibility and prodigious energy for work.

Mr. Parradang, even in retirement, remained active and visible to his community, state and NIS family – providing visionary relevance, invaluable advice, mentorship and serving as a resource person in various Immigration/Migration related conferences within and outside the country. ECOWAS Commission had him engaged as a resource person and had a planned engagement with them the week he died. He had unsuccessfully run for two elective political offices in his home state of Plateau but remained active on other fronts. It was a month ago, precisely on the 6th February 2025, that he stood with other dignitaries to launch a book written by this writer, whom he had graciously appointed as his Special Assistant (on Operation) while in office at the SHQ, Abuja.

He was a sports-loving Comptroller–General who personally led the officers and men in a general workout on Fridays at the SHQ. He was an avid Golfer and member of the prestigious IBB Golf Club, Abuja – whose ambience is even more suited for any form of Social Liaison which his cryptic undertakers – laboriously and contumely sought to attribute as causative of the morbid state he was found.

We are still in a state of shock concerning Mr Parradang’s sudden and inexplicable demise – a man of honour, ever cheerful with an unbelievable sense of humour – who would have rallied support for anyone in need but hadn’t that opportunity for others to rally round for him – in his moment of distress. We can say there is no Immigration Officer – dead or alive who was more loved than late Parradang -as more than a thousand men and women would have risen for him.

We remain united in our quest for a proper and thorough enquiry into the circumstances surrounding his demise – as we know him beyond the widely circulated graphic image of him on social media. His testimonial and service records to his country tells a story of man with high ethical standards and impeccable morals. The avalanche of eulogies from his constituency, Nigerians and the National Assembly members who had brief sessions in his honour speaks volumes about his legacy.

Sir – the harmony you have built in your lifetime is indestructible and no circumstance can change our opinion of your life and times. May God rest your gentle and sweet soul in his bossom. Adieu, Adieu, Adieu.

•Leggjack is a retired Comptroller of Immigration.