13th December, 2023
By Oluwatofunmi Adedokun
Minister of Interior Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo has charged comptrollers of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) with increased services in line with the ‘Renewed Hope’ agenda to change history.
According to Alao Babatunde, the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity stated to the minister, Tunji-Ojo gave the task during a meeting with high-ranking officials of the service, including the Comptroller-General, the Deputy Comptroller General, the Assistant Comptroller General, and the Comptroller.
The Minister of Interior urged workers to re-engineer and re-design the service collectively. He stressed the need 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 experiences for the people of Nigeria. Let generations yet unborn come and read the tales in the chronicles of the time that there was a time when NIS was downward. And God brought a Moses supported by Aarons like you to take it up to the next level,” he said.
On the service beyond passport production, the minister further charged them to help the service take its rightful place of pride by adequately carrying out its 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 are a lot of grounds to cover, and I believe we have the best capacity in our officers. Your job is massive and beyond a 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 pride in your place in the comity of agencies.”
With dedication on the part of the government, the minister assured the service of an uphill improvement of comfort packages as well as adequate investment in volume development to reform them.
“We are already working with the necessary government agencies to look at how your salaries can be on par with those of other sister agencies in line with what the law says.
People need to be inspired, People need to know fully well that even after service, a good life lies ahead and people need to be assured of a better future.
“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.
The C-G appreciated the kind gesture of the minister and his original approach to solving issues confronting the service.
“As a service, we assure you of our loyalty and commitment to lead the progressive call you have charged us with,” she said.