New immigration boss warns officers against extortion

dita Sunday on September 11, 2015 1:57 am THE newly appointed Comptroller General of Immigration (CGI), Mr. Kure Martins Abeshi, has war officers and men of the service at airports and Immigration passport offices to stop demanding for extra money for services rendered. He warned that anyone found culpable would be sacked. Abeshi, who gave this warning during his first on-the-spot visit to the Murtala Muhammed International Airport and Alausa passport office, Ikeja, yesterday, pleaded with officers to learn to live within their means and be contented with what they have. “It is now a crime for any officer to collect more than what government approved that applicants should pay. Change is real and we will enforce it. We are lacking in so many things because of corrupt practices. We all should support our President to stop corruption. “Meanwhile the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) is taking the welfare of our officers and men very seriously. We shall look at various proposals on welfare schemes, just as we invite suggestions from all in this regard.” He described extortion as not just unethical, embarrassing but also demeaning to the image of the service. According to the new CGI, in the era of change there is need for every officer to change his or her way to be in tandem with the spirit of the new Nigeria as piloted by President Buhari. According to him, “We must be determined to shun corrupt practices and become Nigeria’s good public relation officers. Officers who fail to fall in line will be shown the way out.” On the current security challenges bedeviling the country, Abeshi said that NIS would give more emphasis to border patrol and control. “Already, we have a border management system that conforms to international security standards in our Electronic Passenger Registration System (e-PARS). But we have to ensure our officers and men that man this system provide smooth facilitation even as they keep out extremists and other prohibited immigrants. “This administration will give priority to our borders. So far, we have trained 2,100 officers and men as pioneer members of the Border Patrol Corps,” he said.