Retired DCG George Chamlong Didel, is a household name in the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS). Until his retirement on the 13th November, 2024, the man does not need any introduction within the rank and file of the Service. He was popular, and after 35 years of excellent service to God, Country and humanity, the thorough breed Officer bow-out of active service with great dignity and pride.
Born on the 30th November, 1966, and was enlisted into the NIS on 14th November, 1989, as indigene of Qua'anpan Local Government Council, Plateau State. Through resilience, commitment and dedication to duty, he was appointed DCG, a towering rank that only a few could attend before their retirement from the Service. Retired DCG Didel attended many professional Courses within and outside Nigeria and won several Awards.
During a valedictory session held in his honour on 8th November, 2024, the retired DCG, who until his retirement, was in-charge of Investigation and Compliance Directorate, stood tall as members of the Immigration Top Management Team, and Officers alike, pour iconic compliments on this exceptional Officer. The consensus amongst the ranking Officers who spoke at the Event was that, DCG George Didel (rtd.), was a professional Officer that served his Country with great passion and patriotism. He was one of the Service's best examples!
In order to appreciate the motivation for describing the Retired DCG as a profile in professionalism, it is important to understand and put the discourse in context. At a glance, 'being professional, is about what you do and how you behave. It is about being impartial and upholding high standards of conduct and performance.' Professionalism is the attribute of being consistent with ethical standards, core values or rule of behaviour in a corporate organisation. For all intent and purposes, Retried DCG Didel did not only instilled virtues of discipline, integrity, dedication, hostmanship which the NIS stands for, but was, also, committed to living them himself.
The DCG (rtd.) was and, is a proponent of 'do as I do'; not 'do as I say'. He understands and internalised the fact that positive change can only occur when the person introducing it leads by example; hence, was committed to the virtues he preached. Throughout his service years, the fine but retired DCG abhors indiscipline and corruption, and upholds high level of discipline.
Retired DCG Didel was a moral man and the testimonies of this moral state of uprightness about him abound. For instance, a retired Officer of the NIS whom I stumbled on during the recently concluded Comptroller General Annual Conference in Jos, Plateau, shared with me a story of how this moralist practically turned down a lady's request for him to go to bed with her on one occasion, to his utter surprise. In short, to see the other side of DCG Didel retired, just try being immoral, indolent, careless and/or corrupt in the line of duty, you will face the music in tones you will not expect, especially, when he held sway as Provost Marshall (PM) of the noble Service.
A very disciplined yet empathic, Retired DCG Didel listens, and where his subordinates have genuine case, he rose to the occasion to defend them with all the energy in him. He does not give room for anyone to take advantage of others under any guise. A defender of the innocent, and a shield for good he was throughout his service years.
DCG Didel (rtd.) has been a meticulous person. He was very punctilious, having a drive for details. The man has been a strong believer in this timeless adage which says: "The devil is in the detail.' No wonder, he was appointed to superintend over the Investigation and Compliance Directorate of the NIS, a job specification which required intelligent gathering of details and analysing them to make sense of complex situations.
The professional officer was a very dedicated in all he does. He dedicated a larger portion of his work life to enforcement. It takes a forthright, courageous and objective person to enforce rules, regulations and ethics in any corporate organisation like the NIS. When it comes to getting the rules enforced, retired DCG George Didel, does look at faces but the rules and regulations that are due for operationalisation.
Up till date, Retired DCG Didel, is a practical time keeper/manager. He was always the first to come to work and the last to close even as a very senior Officer. He is a time keeper per excellence who has learned the skill of balancing official responsibilities with private ones. His private engagements were never excuses to default when duty calls, and he was consistent about it.
The retired DCG, believes in the power of capacity-building. He made himself readily available despite his tight schedules and underwent several local and international capacity-building trainings/workshops which include but not limited to Drill/Weapon Instructor Course at Infantry Corpse and School, Jaji; International Security and Low Intensity Conflict Course, Command and Staff College, Jaji; Enhanced stockpile Management and Small Arms Transparency Workshop for Armament Officers in Kaduna; Post Bomb Investigation Course, FBI/American Embassy, Lagos, etc. These efforts got him prepared for any responsibility he is given to execute in the Service.
Retired DCG Didel, has demonstrated capacity in teamwork. He believes, nobody has it all; and was never stingy with his ideas and capabilities. Therefore, all assignment given him, whether as individual or, as a team were carried out with relative ease. A difficult task, when executed as a team, could be so simple. When team members cooperate and not compete or hold grudge against their fellow members, systems succeed. Retired DCG Didel understood this secret hence deaf to gossips and opened to all progressive ideas!
You do not plot anything that does not add up with Retired DCG Didel. It will backfire. Do not even try it because the career officer will not tolerate it at all. If you want to get the best side of this man, come straight and you will be glad you did.
The story of Retired DCG Didel, is one that represents the promise and reward of hardwork, dedication and commitment to duty. At the time when it was thought he will not reach the peak of his career, the miracle happened. From the rank of a Comptroller, the quantum leap came, and he was skyrocketed to the rank of an Assistant Comptrollers General, and subsequently, DCG, in a span of about 360 days. The grateful retiree acknowledges God in the miracle hence remarked that only God could have done such great favour to him. For him, it is absolutely true the saying, 'what God cannot do does not exist!'
The lesson here is that, whatever page life opens for you, good or bad, keep doing the best you know-how, and God who rewards handsomely will being broad smiles your way. Retired DCG Didel himself puts the lesson this way while making a remark at the said valedictory session that was held in his honour: 'Be dedicated to duty; do not pull down the roof of the house you are a part of but work at making it better. This way, your day will come and, sometimes, not in material terms.'
For those who are not prepared, retirement is a phase of life which elicits fear of the unknown, but for retired DCG Didel, it is an opportunity to try new things. During the valedictory session, the Comptroller General of Immigration Service, KN Nadap, pcc, mmis, fsmn, ably represented by the DCG Works and Logistics, AJ Umanah, prayed, assuring him that his retirement is just the beginning of a new phase of life which promises to be eventful. I cannot agree less with this assurance because of the level of preparedness/resourcefulness of the retired DCG.
Retired DCG George Chamlong Didel, has been an enigma of sort. He is a diligent man with many parts, whose sense of discipline is sometimes, erroneously, misunderstood for wickedness, until one gets objective to the point of coming to terms with dictates of corporate standards!
Interestingly, for the result oriented DCG (rtd), the best way to evaluate his life is to ask for balanced review from others. When inconiums were showered on him at the valedictory session held for him, he expressed the wish that his downsides could have been mentioned to help him make amends. He refused to believe that he was faultless all through his career hence asked for forgiveness from those he might knowingly or unknowingly offended or failed to meet their expectations. That is retired DCG Didel for you. In a world where people crave praises, he seeks objective criticisms!
The retired DCG has traversed the Nigerian Immigration landscape trying to make a difference. Whatever remains today, 'the man in the mirror', has crossed over to the other side of Public Service, as a celebrity for the Nigerian State, the Immigration Service, his family and, indeed, friends alike. His continuous stay in the Service would have meant more credible and celebrated works; his exit hold greater opportunity to serve the Country and humanity in other capacities!
The history of the evolving attitudinal change, and the digital transformation being witnessed in the NIS today, cannot be completed without a mention of Retired DCG Didel as a salient contributor. Indeed, this man, is a force for good, and this piece is a eulogy chronicling the trails of a man who has dutifully paid his dues in the service of God, Country and humanity. I observed the stuff, aura and vibes he is made-up of, at the twilight of his exit from the Service. And now, the historic Pull-out Parade slated for this Wednesday, 13th November, 2024, at Rwang Pam Stadium, is his day, and a day to remember indeed. Congratulations and the best of retirement life, sir!
(Modest Thoughts with Ayuba, Yilgak'ha, 13th November, 2024)
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