The Rivers State Government, has welcomed the decision of the Federal Government to open a second passport office in the state.
The State Chief Executive, Chief Nyesom Wike stated this during a courtesy visit by the Controller General, Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), Muhammed Babandede, at Government House, Port Harcourt.
The governor, who spoke through his Deputy, Dr Ipalibo Harry Banigo, said he was delighted with the plans to set up a second passport office in the state.
The governor stated that there could not have been any better justification to the initiative than the fact that “Rivers State is safe, secure and hosts a lot of multinational companies who do business here”, stating that “businesses thrive here.”
Wike, who said he was happy that the controller general was in the state to graduate officers from the Immigration Academy, Ahoada, Rivers State, implored the NIS to consider giving slots to Rivers youth who are interested in joining the service
He commended the Nigerian Immigration Service for fighting to stem the rising tide of human trafficking which has attracted some evil-minded people recently because of the purported monetary gains accruable from it, adding that, “It is as bad, if not more heinous than drug peddling and gun running”.
According to the governor, “women and children are the most vulnerable in this crime against humanity because children are trafficked for child labour while the women are used for forced prostitution. To us as a government, human trafficking is totally obnoxious, and we must fight it with all we have got”.
Wike said part of the NEW Rivers Vision was to partner the Nigerian Immigration Service and other sister security agencies to provide round-the-clock security for residents in the state to ensure that they maintain and grow their businesses.
“Security is the main driver of development, and we are very serious about maintaining it”, he said.
The governor said the state government under his watch will continue to promote the ease of doing business to attract further development.
According to him, the hiccups hitherto experienced in the issuance of Certificate of Occupancy are now over, stressing that within weeks, one could now have a Certificate of Occupancy, while the state Board of Internal Revenue has been repositioned to serve as one-stop-shop to handle tax matters.
Earlier, the Controller General of the Nigerian Immigration Service, Muhammed Babandede, had commended Wike for the massive infrastructure development in the state, and expressed the desire of the service to set up a second passport office to ease the congestion experienced in the Port Harcourt Passport Office.
The controller general, who said he was also in the state to witness the graduation ceremony of students of the Immigration Academy in Ahoada, thanked the governor for his support to the security forces in the state.
