FG To Introduce Online Border Monitoring

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The Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) will launch a control centre for online border monitoring by next year and also activate complaints centres.

The Comptroller General of Immigration, Mr. Mohammed Babadede, on Monday disclosed this in Abuja during the decoration of 41 senior officers, including 14 Assistant Comptrollers General of Immigration.

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He also decorated 38 Comptrollers of Immigration, including the Service Public Relations Officer, Mr. King Ekpedeme.

Babadede described the occasion as one that would spur officers to brace up to defend their ranks and change their orientation to face the challenges of recent times.

He told the officers that migration had assumed a major problem and advised officers not to allow Nigeria to become a victim.

“We must patrol and protect our borders to curtail irregular migrants so as to fight terrorism,’’ he said.

He also told officers to ensure proficiency in allowing foreigners because many of them have taken over Nigerian jobs.

“We are so careless and so foreigners have taken over our jobs, including driving taxes, taken over both the mining and oil and gas sector. You must change and bring about better Nigeria,” Babadede added.

He advised officers to adapt to the change mantra, positive attitudinal change canvassed by the government, saying: There must be tangible change. It’s not going to be business as usual.’’

Babadede equally advised officers to eschew corruption and see themselves as gatekeepers and first point of contact with travelers who are both Nigerians and foreigners.

“Passengers expect warm welcome from immigration officers. These passenger have gone through stress and demand careful and good reception.

“Stop demanding for money. Change is within and I expect you to change. Even the way we issue passports. By next year we must give time frame to issue passports and visas.’’