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Interior Minister tasks Immigration on improved services
The Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has charged comptrollers of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) on enhanced services in line with the ‘Renewed Hope’ agenda to change the narrative.
This is contained in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Alao Babatunde, on Wednesday in Abuja.
According to him, the minister gave the task during a meeting with top-rank officers of the service, including the Comptroller-General, the Deputy Comptrollers General, Assistant Comptrollers General and Comptrollers.
Tunji-Ojo enjoined the personnel to be cooperative in re-designing and re-engineering the service.
He stressed the need to critically expand the coast to improve the service and stimulate a departure from the old ways.
“We want to write a new script. A script that is based on sweet experience for the people of Nigeria.
“Let generations yet unborn come and read the tales in the chronicles of time that there was a time when NIS was downwards.
“And God brought a Moses supported by Aarons like you to take it up to the next level,” he said.
On the service’s beyond passport production, the minister further charged them to help the service take its rightful place of pride by adequately carrying out their mandate as enshrined in the constitution.
“As your minister, it is not business as usual. We have bigger responsibilities beyond passport processing and we must deliver.
“There is a lot of grounds to cover and I believe we have the best of capacity in our officers.
“Your job is massive, and beyond passport. You’re our ambassadors, and as such, there is more to be done in areas of investigation and compliance because you’re our border police.
“It is no longer acceptable to just process passports. You must take your pride of place in the comity of agencies.”
On commitment on the part of government, the minister assured the service of an upward improvement of welfare packages as well as adequate investment in capacity development to reform it.
“We are already working with necessary agencies of government to look at how your salaries can be at par with other sister agencies in line with what the law says.
“People need to be assured of the future. People need to be encouraged knowing full well that even after service, a good life lies ahead.
“You cannot give what you don’t have. In the new dispensation, we will ensure we move from an era of career stagnation to an era of promotions on merit.
“And where we need to create more portfolios, we will expand the coast to accommodate more officers.
“We must back our talks with actions. If there is any Comptroller who will not join the progressive train, such officer should voluntarily exit the system before actions are taken,” he advised.
Responding, the C-G, Mrs Adepoju Wura-Ola, appreciated the kind gesture of the minister and his innovative approach to solving challenges confronting the service.
Wura-Ola also thanked the minister for his efforts geared towards making the service a better service that can compete favourably with its foreign counterparts.
“As a service, we assure you of our loyalty and commitment to lead the progressive call you have charged us with. We will not let you down. We will not let the country down.
“We will not let the President down. Rest assured that our men will key into all your innovative reforms, and will not compromise the system,” she said.
The meeting was attended by top management officers and directors of the ministry, including its Acting Permanent Secretary, Dr Peter Egbodo.
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