By Ibironke Ariyo
The Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) said it would continue to strengthen E-border management and improve staff welfare for effective security across the country.
The Comptroller General, NIS, Isah Jere said this during the decoration of newly promoted officers of the service, on Friday in Abuja.
Jere said that NIS had taken necessary steps including deployment of technology in the discharge of its mandate.
He added that the service had strategically embarked on reforms targeted at enhancing migration management and service delivery.
“I like to state that Nigeria’s response to migrant smuggling has been broad and dynamic.
“Our statutory mandate as both law enforcement and service delivery agency demands that we masterly deploy our best hands across our service and operational windows.
“This is to ensure that we regularly and consistently make enduring impressions on the minds of those we relate with.
“We are leaving no stone unturned in our pursuit to excellently discharge our mandate through priority attention to human capacity development and timely promotion of officers and men,” he said.
Jere added that as part of the reform, NIS has been migrating to enhanced E-Passport and transformed the process of passport application and issuance.
“This was made possible by the introduction of a queuing system that enables passport applicants to choose an interview date immediately payment is made on the application portal.
“This is helping management to regulate the passport process while also allowing passport applicants get an appointment date at their convenience,” he said.
Jere charged immigration personnel to be active participants in all the processes and changes, to achieve measurable results and success in serving the fatherland.
On the recent promotions, Comptroller General said the exercise was a product of the officers high-level preparations, hard work, commitment, self-discipline, honesty, integrity and loyalty.
“Loyalty is the totality of the other virtues. Those who must command must first learn to obey.
“Your new ranks automatically place you in positions to make critical management decisions that will determine the fate of officers and men as well as the course of progress of the Service.
“As you wear your new ranks, your coordination, perspective and focus must be absolutely service centered, nationalistic, just and fair in all your dealings, to command the respect and loyalty of your subordinates.
” I urge you to consistently upgrade your skills in order to move at the same pace with the management,” he said.
Speaking on behalf of the newly promoted officers, the Service Public Relations Officer, Mr Tony Akuneme said that promotion comes from God, and a demand for more work.
Akuneme who was promoted to the rank of Comptroller pledged their continuous support to the service and the country at large.
“We will do our best to ensure that we put in more efforts to work and carry out our duties effectively,” he said.
Akuneme advised those not promoted to believe in God and be more diligent in their work.
Goodwill messages were delivered by representatives of sister agencies like NDLEA, Fire Service, NSCDC, NYSC among others.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that those decorated were 11 comptrollers promoted to Assistant Comptrollers General, and 53 Deputy Comptrollers elevated to substantive Comptrollers. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)
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Edited by Deborah Coker/Maharazu Ahmed
