Business
Immigration Goes Tough On Firms
The Rivers State Command of the Nigeria Immigration Service has unfolded its plans to bring to justice all companies, including multi-nationals, operating in the state and patronizing fake procurement and forged facilities outside the state command for expatriates.
The Controller in charge of the command, Barr Mike Longe, disclosed this recently at the Immigration Service, Rivers State Command and stakeholders sansitation meeting held in Port Harcourt.
According to him, companies operating in Rivers State do not obtain necessary immigration facilities from the state command, but rather seek cheap alternatives by patronising fake document syndicates.
“On my assumption of duty on December 11th, 2012, it was observed that most f the companies operating in the state including multi-national companies do not obtain necessary immigration facilities from the command in the state. Rather, these facilities are obtained without due process from other neighbouring states or the procedure circumvented by those who for their own personal aggrandizement assist in procuring them,” he said.
He said, the non-compliance of the companies with the log book movement in relation to the brown cards for expatriates and misuse of the various visas has seriously disrupted delivery of prompt and efficient service devoid of corrupt practices in the state immigration services.
However, Barr Longe said, his careful examination had revealed that the active strike period and relative insecurity which the state endured in the past is responsible for the slack in efficient service delivery in the immigration services in the state.
Longe also observed that the unnecessary delay in the processing of documents in the system, demand for detailed presentation of necessary document to facilitate processing as well as absence of some of the required documents were the major challenges confronting prompt and efficient service delivery in the state command.
The immigration boss informed the companies operating in the state that “service circular” is ready for collection as a guideline to the process of obtaining immigration facilities in the state where they are domiciled.
According to him, the principal among the grey areas in the immigration operation includes the issuance of the Residence Card (Green Card), the issuance of the Brown Card (Aliens), non compliance by expatriates with conditions stipulated for those who wish to be in the country for more than fifty-six (56) days, lack of transit visa for seamen during ship, among others.
Enoch Epelle