News
NIS Not Fully Satisfying Nigerians In Passport Issuance – Minister
The Minister of Interior, Mr Rauf Aregbesola, has admitted that the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) still has challenges meeting the number of applications for Nigerian passports annually.
Aregbesola stated this yesterday during the virtual inauguration of the newly completed Office Complex of the NIS, Oyo State Command in Ibadan.
The minister said much still needed to be done to satisfy the desires of Nigerians in terms of processing and prompt delivery of passports to applicants.
He said the service was aware of the complaints of Nigerians on the issue and was working assiduously to meet up with their expectations.
“NIS is not only for passport issuance, there is issue of Immigration management as well as border patrol.
“I want to commend the service for gradual adoption of technology in immigration management and border patrol and I want to emphasise that this is the way to go,” Aregbesola said.
He commended officers and men of NIS for being conversant with the application of technology and its effective utilisation.
The minister also appreciated NIS partners for their support in the provision of the technology devices and requested for more support in the deployment of technology devices to all land borders in Nigeria. The Aregbesola commended NIS, Oyo State Command as well as the Zonal Command, saying the new complex would serve as a factor to stimulate dedication and passion for service delivery.
On his part, the NIS Comptroller-General, Muhammad Babandede, said that the edifice would add value to the services NIS delivered to the people.
“A good working environment will enhance productivity and I assure the minister of proper maintenance of the new office complex,” Babandede said.
Also, the NIS Comptroller in Oyo State, Babangida Usman, said the inauguration of the edifice marked an historical event in the history of NIS Oyo State command.
Babangida said that the command since inception had witnessed several infrastructural development and different leadership.
He said the new edifice became a reality with the support of NIS Comptroller-General and the minister in order to provide a more conducive working environment for the officers and men of the command.
Babangida said that the office would go a long way in enhancing effective and efficient service delivery in Oyo State and Nigeria in general.
News
FG Moves To Stop Influx Of Illegal Aliens
The Federal Government has promised to put measures in place to end the movement of illegal immigrants into the country to secure the country.
The government stated that the era where aliens easily enter the country with fake travel documents must stop.
The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, according to a statement on Saturday by the Director of Press of the Ministry, Afonja Ajibola, disclosed this when the Director, the Bureau of Public Service Reforms, Dasuki Arabi visited him.
The statement read, “The Minister assured he is working seriously on efficient ways at securing Nigeria borders; saying a situation where illegal aliens easily find their ways into the country often with fake travel documents has to be stopped. In his view, Nigeria cannot be secured if its borders are not secured”.
The Minister also said the Ministry was ready to partner with the BPSR in proffering effective solutions to the nation’s security challenges, especially in securing the nation’s borders.
“I am ready to actively collaborate with the Bureau of Public Service Reforms to find solutions to our security challenges,” he was quoted as saying.
News
ECOWAS Condemns Plot To Obstruct Peace In Sierra Leone
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has condemned the plot by some individuals to disturb peace in Sierra Leone.
The condemnation is contained in a statement issued by ECOWAS in Abuja, yesterday.
ECOWAS said, “The bloc has learnt, with utter disgust, a plot by certain individuals to aquire arms and disturb the peace and constitutional order in Sierra Leone.
“ECOWAS condemns this act and calls for the arrest and prosecution of everyone involved in the illegality.
“The bloc has always maintained its zero tolerance for unconstitutional change of government.
“We want to reaffirm our commitment to supporting the government and the people of Sierra Leone’s quest to deepen democracy and good governance by consolidating peace and security so as to foster socio-economic development”.
Earlier, the Sierra Leonean Government had declared a 24-hour nationwide curfew in a proactive step to ensure that the peace is not tampered with.
News
Bad Roads Fuelling Insecurity In N’East -Govs
Worried by the security challenges confronting the region, governors of the North East have resolved to embark on more collaborative efforts among member states to come up with a security architecture design for the region.
The governors noted that bad federal roads are fuelling insecurity in the region and called on the Federal Ministry of Works to follow through with road contracts awarded in the region.
This is contained in a communique issued at the end of the 9th meeting of the forum, held at the banquet hall of the Adamawa State Government House in Yola last Saturday.
According to a statement signed by the Chairman of the Forum and Governor of Borno State, Babagana Zulum, the forum said there was a need for a robust platform for regional economic development and resolved to work as an entity in strengthening the human capacity and socio-economic development of its people.
The communique read in part, “Forum is continuously disturbed about the poor infrastructural base of the region. More concerned that the federal roads within and between the states in the region have been neglected.
“We call on the Federal Ministry of Works to follow through with road contracts awarded in the region. The poor road network is fuelling insecurity stalling development and making life more difficult for our people in the region.
“Forum notes that the bad federal roads within and between the states are major setbacks to the infrastructural development of the region.
“Forum notes the poor energy situation in the region. To mitigate the situation, Forum resolved to work with Shanghai Electric to construct a 60 MW Coal Power Power Plant in each state of the region.
“Forum decried the lack of modern rail projects in the region and called for repairs on the old gauge rail lines which no longer useful and sustainable technology. Forum calls for inclusion of the region into the Nigerian National Railway Transport Plan using the Modern Guage rail.”
On climate change and environmental degradation, the forum resolved to strengthen its collaboration with all initiatives such as the Great Green Wall and the Global Initiative of Carbon Credit financing.
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