Staff and critical stakeholders in rescue and emergency management, have kicked against reported lobby for tenure extension by the outgoing Controller General of the Federal Fire Service (FFS), Abdulganiyu Jaji.

The Controller General, who is expected to commence his compulsory three months terminal leave in May, is billed to retire from service in August 2025, when he will clock 60 years of age

Sources confirmed that even as the lobbying for his tenure elongation has been intensified, staffers of the agency are insisting that he must obey the civil service rule and proceed on retirement, having played his own part in the system

Stakeholders have however expressed concerns that rather than proceed on his pre – retirement leave, the Controller General has remained firm in office and is still attending to official matters, disregarding previous directives and the provisions of the extant Public Service Rules.

The Fire Service boss is reportedly lobbying for two years extension beyond the compulsory retirement age.

It was however gathered that the outgoing FFS Controller-General incurred the anger of the staff of the Service following the reported release of N3 billion on 29th December, 2025 as palliative to staff to cushion the effects of the removed fuel subsidy, which the Service is yet to disburse.

The staff therefore called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate the activities of the Controller General and other top management officers of the agency, even as they alleged diversion of the N3 billion palliative

According to one of the FFS officers who craved for anonymity due to obvious reasons, “We (officers) waited in vain for the disbursement of the palliative to bring scores to the untold hardship brought about by the high cost of living and inflation that followed the new reforms.

“The EFCC knows of the criminal activities surrounding the fund and the deliberate delay in spending it. We’re awaiting to hear the outcome of their investigations.

“We are calling on our proactive President Bola Tinubu to direct the EFCC and other anti-corruption agencies to diligently unravel the truth and let Nigerians know what makes the disbursement of the N3 billion palliative to linger so long.”

Continuing, the staff noted “Prior to the elevation of Jaji to the position of Controller-General, his predecessors had expanded the operations of the Service to all the 36 states, with additional six Zonal Commands, beyond Abuja and Lagos state where firefighting operations were visibility present.

“Operational vehicles, gadgets and other firefighting equipment were also distributed to all the States and Zonal Offices of the FFS but since Jaji came into office, no appliances have been added to the fleet. The most worrisome scenario is that virtually all the equipment he inherited are now grounded as even the FFS headquarters cannot make provisions for ordinary fuel for the State offices.

“Never in the history of the Federal Fire Service has the morale of the staff been so low as per what we are seeing today due to lack of foresight, managerial incompetence and lack of vision.

“This man is due to be on pre-retirement leave by now since his tenure will expire in August 2025, but we have been hearing stories of money being thrown around for him to secure tenure elongation through the Honourable Minister of Interior and other power that be.

“President Tinubu should not allow this to happen unless the Federal Government wants to totally ground the operations of the Federal Fire Service.”

However, efforts by the New National Star to get the reactions of the Controller General and the Federal Fire Service management proved abortive as the Public Relations Officer, Abdulrasheed Ashafa failed to pick several calls that were put across to him, nor respond to messages sent to him