NUPENG Gives Panacea To Fuel Scarcity

The Nigeria Immigrations Service (NIS), has generated N10.2 billion from its services to the public in 2011.

The services include issuance of passports, re-entry visas, re-entry permits, Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) residence cards and ECOWAS travel certificates, among others.

The Assistant-Comptroller of the Service, Mr. Joachim Olumba, disclosed this at a press briefing last Thursday in Abuja in reaction to media reports that the NIS was not remitting the exact revenue generated to government.

Olumba, who described the reports as “erroneous and misleading,’’ said that out of the amount, N7.2 billion went to technical partners and service providers, while approximately N3 billion was remitted to government coffers.

“The media reports under reference here emanated from a recent submission of the Comptroller General of Immigration Service, Mrs Rose Uzoma, to the National Assembly Joint Committee on Interior during the 2012 Fiscal Budget Defence.

“The reports contain some obvious misrepresentation and misinterpretation, hence, it is imperative to set the records straight,” Olumba said.

He said that the total number of 773, 642 standard e-passports and 3,580 official e-passports were paid for at the local unit price of N8, 750 and N4, 500, respectively.

“It is quite pertinent to remark here that the unit cost of e-passport ranges from N4,900 to N5,191 (which varies due to element of foreign costs taking cognisance of the volatility in foreign exchange rate), excluding the technology fee of N1,250 deducted from each e-passport sold,’’ he said.

The spokesman said that the technology fee was the amount shared among partners and the NIS.

He said that the revenue generated by NIS in local currency, most of which were earned from issuance of e-passports were duly appropriated as the management complied fully with the relevant financial regulations and all agreements.

Olumba said that NIS deserved commendation for not only running an efficient process, but for generating and remitting substantial revenue to Federal Government coffers, “without any budgetary commitment by government.’’

He noted that government was in no way being shortchanged, but was rather enjoying a process that did not impose any liability on it.

Commenting on the current face-off between Nigeria and South Africa, Olumba said that what was happening was not a “big deal” as immigrations had also repatriated 10,797 foreigners, including South Africans for various reasons between January and February.

He said there was, therefore, no retaliatory action by the service for now because of the face-off.

Shedie Okpara