Nation
Uncertainty In NIS: Dearth Of Top Officers Mars Operations
Some Nigerians have decried the current level of poor performance of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) which they attributed to dearth of senior officers to man sensitive positions in the organisation.
They made the criticism while recounting their experiences to The Tide source in Abuja.
One of them is a Nigerian, who returned from Europe to renew his international passport, which had some two months to expire.
The respondent, who simply called his name Ibrahim, expressed sadness with the frustration he experienced in the service Headquarters to renew his passport yet could not be attended to.
He said after struggling to obtain his National Identification Number (NIN), a precondition for the passport renewal, the service said he could only apply for the document and return in two weeks for image capturing.
The Diaspora Nigerian told The Tide source that he felt embarrassed that an office which was dealing with citizens with international exposure could be talking about staggered processes in the issuance of passports.
“This office is toying with the future of its citizens if it fails to issue travelling documents promptly on request; is it that it does not have the manpower to carry out its primary responsibility.
“Nigerians abroad chose to return home to update their documents as most of the times the passport booklets are not available in their countries of residence.
“NIS prefers to issue temporary travel permits for a foreign-based applicant to come home even after the person had paid a fee that is higher than the main passport booklet.
“This is unacceptable.’’
Visits to some passport processing offices of the service showed that a lot of applicants turned up and would spend the whole day without success.
The Tide source reliably gathered from some Nigerians during interview that apart from the passport booklets supplied not being enough to meet demand, some officers who could be reported to did not exist.
Some Immigration officers reported that the top level management of the Service was depleted due to the steady retirement of personnel and withholding of recent promotion interview conducted to fill the gaps.
The promotion examination carried out since 2021 was hanging in the Service board’s office.
It was gathered that of the eight Deputy Comptrollers-General heading eight directorates of the service, only two remained in service while six had retired since 2021.
The sources alleged that there was no sign that the Board of Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire, and Immigration Services, saddled with the responsibility to fill the gaps, was in a hurry to do so.
“As it is, apart from Account/Finance and Visa/Residency Directorates, the rest directorates are headed by Assistant Comptrollers-General against the provisions of the Nigeria Immigration Act.
Nation
Nine Passengers Burnt In Oyo Auto Crash – FRSC
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has said nine passengers have sustained varying degree of burns in an auto crash on Ogbomoso-Oyo Expressway.
The Sector Commander in the state, Joshua Adekanye, confirmed the incident in an interview with The Tide’s source in Ibadan yesterday.
He said the accident, which occurred on Saturday, involved a trailer and a truck at Sekona area along Ogbomoso – Oyo Expressway.
Adekanye said nine out of the total 13 people involved in the accident got burnt while four others escaped unhurt.
“The accident happened around 3:30 a.m. on Saturday, and the truck vehicle caught fire while the trailer collided with it.
“The actual cause of the fire in the truck could not be ascertain because it happened at night”, he said.
He, however, said the likely cause of the trailer colliding with the truck might be speeding and wrongful overtaking.
According to him, the burnt victims are being referred to the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital for treatment, adding that the RS11.31 Ogbomoso and RS11.312 Oolo Commands conducted rescue operation.
“Other agency that carried out the rescue operation are the Fire Service and Odo-Oba Police Division”, he said.
Adekanye called on motorists to shun night travelling, wrongful overtaking and dangerous driving to ensure safety on the road.
Nation
Association Lauds Gov Over E-Ticket Revenue Collection
Enugu State Governor, Barr Peter Mbah, has been commended for introducing E-Ticket system of revenue collection, which is aimed at increasing Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of the state.
The President, Enugu State Markets Amalgamated Traders Association (ESMATA), Chief Stephen Aniagu, who made the commendation in a chat with newsmen in Enugu, expressed happiness that the system has already started yielding fruitful results.
Urging traders in all the markets in the State to cooperate with government by embracing the innovation, Chief Aniagu also expressed satisfaction with the announcement by the State Government that its IGR had increased tremendously from what it used to be before the introduction of the system.
According to him, traders in Ogbete Main Market have already identified themselves with the system, with a view to encouraging the State Government’s efforts at increasing its IGR.
On programmes and projects mapped out for execution by the Governor Mbah-led administration, Chief Aniagu said, “we have already started feeling the impacts of these projects.
“From all indications, Governor Mbah has plans to make Enugu State a role model. We are cooperating very well with the State Government. The relationship between the Governor and traders in the State is very cordial.
“Ogbete traders are fully involved as they have started paying their taxes as and when due. I urge all the traders to key in by ensuring that government revenue goes directly into government Coffers instead of private pockets”.
Continuing, Chief Aniagu further said: “The Governor has always carried along traders in Ogbete and other markets in the State in his programmes.
Fielding questions from newsmen on the level of peace in Ogbete, Chief Aniagu stated that there was relative peace in the market, adding that traders were fully supporting and cooperating with his administration.
He, however, advised traders in Ogbete and other markets in the State not to cheat their customers in any manner, noting that “the importance of carrying out you businesses with the fear of God cannot be over emphasized”.
By: Canice Amadi Enugu
Nation
EFCC Boss Vows To Fight Corruption
The Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr Ola Olukoyede, has pledged to refocus the anti-corruption war by adopting modalities capable of stimulating economic growth and development.
He gave the assurance while addressing members of staff of Ilorin Zonal Command of EFCC, at the Commission’s Office, GRA, Ilorin.
Olukoyede promised a paradigm shift in the agency’s approach to anti-graft war, to make it more proactive and result oriented.
“There is need for us to refocus our attention in EFCC. We need to define our scope of mandate with a view to stimulate the economy of the country.
“The era of stifling and crippling of businesses with unwarranted PNDs is gone.
“We must be able to separate proceeds of crime from legitimate funds and use the instrumentality of our mandate to create wealth and jobs for people.
“We will also use the instrumentality of our mandate to create conducive environment for businesses to thrive for a sustainable economic growth”, he said.
The EFCC boss also pledged to prioritise staff welfare, stressing that he was already in talks with the government for necessary support.
“We have done it before and we are going to do it again”, he assured.
Olukoyede asked officers of the commission to be above board and avoid acts of compromise in their line of duty, stressing, “We owe our nation the sacred duty of making this country free of corruption and crimes”.
He urged members of staff to work together for a good course and see themselves as officers having the same rights and privileges as encapsulated in Section 8 (5) of the EFCC Establishment Act, 2004.
The TIde’s source reports that the executive Chairman had earlier visited the palace of Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Zulu Gambari, where he called on traditional rulers to deepen their partnership with EFCC.
He called for more cooperation in order to reduce corruption through adequate promotion of ethics, values and behavioral change among their subjects.
“Our royal fathers have a crucial role to play by using your good offices to champion the crusade against corruption among your subjects.
Responding, the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Zulu Gambari pledged to continue supporting EFCC and other law enforcement agencies in stamping out corruption and other form of criminalities in the State.
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