The Nation Newspaper

Tag: NIS

  • NIS chief blames IDP, camp bombing on improper mapping

    Nigerian Institution of Surveyors (NIS) President Mr. Akin Oyegbola has blamed the accidental bombing of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) Camp in Rann, Borno State on the lack of proper mapping of the country’s landscape.

    He said it was regrettable that the  accident occurred because the flight crew was not aware of the location of the IDP Camp when it was bombed.

    “The digital method of processing, managing, storing and presenting geo-spatial information would have made possible mapping of the IDP Camps as they were being sited. If the IDP Camps have been mapped the position of one of them would not have been mistaken for that of Boko Haram,” he said.

    While calling on the Federal Government to ensure adequate mapping of the country, the NIS President explained that the case in point shows how important mapping is to all human activities on land and how much Nigeria has relegated it to the background, insisting that the most mapped countries are the most developed ones.

    He regretted that the little efforts that were being done by the government and the private sector is not well coordinated for optimal use, assuring that his institute would continue its awareness, enlightenment, and publicity drive to make government and all concerned understand the need to earmark enough funds for Surveying and Mapping in the budget.

  • NIS official sues Interior minister, others over promotion

    •Seeks N250m compensation

    An official of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), who claimed to have been employed about the same period with the Comptroller-General of the NIS, Muhammed Babadende, has sued the Interior Minister, Abdulrahman Danbazau and all other relevant individuals over his stunted promotion.

    The official, Daniel Makolo wants the court to, among others, compel his employers and other relevant individuals, including the Interior minister and Babadende to reverse the injustice done to him and promote him to his deserved rank. The suit is before the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN).

    Makolo, who said he joined the NIS on December 14, 1987, blamed his stagnated promotion on the NIS authorities, who he said, were not comfortable with his objection to fraudulent and unlawful practices within the system, a disposition which brought him problems.

    He stated in a supporting affidavit that while Babadende was employed in 1985 as a Grade Level 08 officer, he was employed in 1987as a Grade Level 07 officer.

    “He (Babadende) was promoted to Grade Level 17 in 2013 and now on consolidated salary, while I am stagnated and kept in limbo on Grade Level 12 ever since by the same board, for equal service rendered.

    “We worked as immediate subordinates when we came into this service in 1985 and 1987. This NIS is still the same. I know as a fact that what is good for citizen Mohammed Babadende in NIS is equally good for citizen Daniel Makolo in NIS too. I am demanding for special promotion to at least, Grade Level 17,” he said.

    Makolo, who cited instances where he had been subjected to unjust hardship and punishment with the intention of forcing him out of service, said he had been cleared by the Federal High Court of moves to link him with Boko Haram.

    He added that the fear among members of the NIS top management was that with his disposition, he could become fraudulent should he be elevated to his deserved rank and position.

    Makolo said “The NIS and her board abused their powers/privileges on me deliberately in a crafty and mischievous manner on the altar of official powers in bad faith, keeping me in limbo while promoting my contemporaries. From all my complaints, the NIS and its board – the Civil Defence, Fire, Immigration and Prison Services Board (CDFIPB) – failed to give me listening ears and withheld my promotions since 1992”

    He explained that his resort to court action was because the relevant individuals and bodies failed to act on his several complaints, despite having served as “a loyal, dedicated and committed officer in the service of my fatherland in NIS and as a citizen, whose right has been violated and refused due promotion.”

  • Immigration boss to officers: We must overhaul our operations

    Immigration boss to officers: We must overhaul our operations

    The Comptroller General, (CG) of the Nigeria Immigration Service, (NIS), Muhammed Babandede Friday disclosed that the service must overhaul its processes and procedures.

    The process Babandede said will start by deploying cutting edge technology to reduce bureaucratic bottle necks in this age of global competitiveness in service delivery.

    He said this while addressing Assistant Comptrollers-General and other top officers at the Nigeria Immigration Service Headquarters in Abuja.

    According to him, the existing channels will be followed when treating applications for facilities but the difference is that it will be done electronically.

    A statement issued by the NIS spokesman and Deputy Comptroller of Immigration, Ekpedeme King, the CGI is to establish an electronic mail desk in his office that will be connected to all offices, while a Chief Superintendent of Immigration has already been appointed as desk officer.

    In the same vein the CGI has delegated some of his responsibilities such as the approval of certain categories of passport applications to his Deputies and Assistants in order to reduce the work load for the CGI as well as facilitate the processing of passport.

    “It is our administration and you must be seen to be part of it and accept such responsibilities to goes with your office,” Babandede advised.

    Also, the NIS boss said the State Governments will be expected to provide Comptrollers in their States with the lists of State commissioners, and aides of their Governors for verification.

    He said: “The Comptrollers will confirm the eligibility of the applicants to the Service Headquarters. This reform is to facilitate the process of issuance of official/service passports as the approval would have been granted before they visit the Service Headquarters for biometric data acquisition.

    “Since the State Comptrollers are closer to this tier of government, they are better placed to verify the eligibility of the applicants to official passports and convey same to us electronically”.

    Babandede also stated that it is his desire: “to reform our processes down to the Local Government Area level in order to promote the ease of doing business in Nigeria. For as we all know when the foreign investors bring their business to Nigeria they also provide employment opportunities for our teeming youths”.

    He has set a timeline of two months to complete the reforms in passport administration.

  • 40 Nigerians deported from UK, Australia

    40 Nigerians deported from UK, Australia

    United Kingdom and Australia on Wednesday jointly deported 40 Nigerians for various immigration offences.

    The deportees comprising male and female arrived at the hajj camp area of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport at 7:25am on chartered aircraft.

    Our correspondent gathered that a chartered aircraft with the registration number ZTA -4741 brought 36 Nigerians  -29 males and seven females to the country/

    Also, Air Seychelles with the registration number SND-1 brought four males into the country for similar offences.

     

  • Immigration officers must shun corruption – Buhari

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday warned officers and men of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), to shun corruption and sharp practices capable of tarnishing the image of the country.

    Buhari urged security agencies to trust one another and work together to further guarantee effective management of migration in the country among other security problems.

    He spoke in Lafia, Nasarawa State where he declared open the NIS 2016 Comptroller General annual conference and stakeholders’ interactive forum with the theme: Migration management in Nigeria: prospects and challenges.

    Buhari, who expressed displeasure at the rate of terrorism in the country, advised the NIS not to rest on its oars in tackling trans- border crimes and other negative activities in the country.

    The President, who was represented at the event by the Minister of Interior, Lt. Gen. Abdulrahaman Dambazzau, said border security and management must be intelligence driven.

    He said: “While assuring the service of the support of the Federal Government at all times, I wish to charge all officers and men to discharge their duties transparently, with a high sense of professionalism and in line with international best practices.

    “As the gate keepers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, you must shun all forms of corrupt and sharp practices capable of impugning on our national image.

    “The NIS cannot afford to rest on its oars particularly at this critical time of our national life, as the myriad of irregular migration with the attendant challenge of other forms of trans-border crimes, including arms smuggling, human trafficking, drug trafficking and terrorism must be tackled headlong.

    “Interagency cooperation must be based on mutual trust and respect.”

  • Four battered, six others abducted in Ogun

    Four battered, six others abducted in Ogun

    At least four Operatives of the Ogun state Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps (TRACE) were battered and six others abducted on Tuesday in a surprise attack on their Ibara Area office, Abeokuta, by  men of the Nigeria Immigration Service(NIS), Ogun state Command.

    The armed squad of the NIS which stormed the TRACE office in ‘shock and awe’ fashion using two unmarked vehicles, began to shoot sporadically into the air, seized any TRACE officer on sight and also thoroughly beat up the unfortunate ones caught.

    For over 45 minutes, pandemonium ensued as TRACE Operatives and their visitors abandoned the offices and fled for safety into neighbouring compounds, to escape the NIS attack, a witness told The Nation.

    Those wounded during the assault include the Head of Operations, Olalekan Adewale, a member of Parking Management agency, Tomiwa Khaleed and two others.

    The Nation gathered that NIS not content with storming the victims’ Area Office, also went round strategic areas in Abeokuta, the Ogun state capital, and abducted six TRACE Operatives on duty in different locations and took them away.

    It was gathered that angry NIS officials were reacting to an alleged assault on their un-armed colleague earlier in the day at the Sapon area of the state capital by TRACE Corps.

    It was further gathered that following bitter argument between the unarmed NIS officer and TRACE, eight traffic corps were said to have beaten him up on the allegation that he parked his car in a manner that constituted an obstruction to traffic at the Sapon area.

    The Public Relations Officer of TRACE, Babatunde Akinbiyi, who confirmed the assault, said four persons were wounded while six others were abducted in different areas of the city.

    He said,”I got a call this morning that some of our men were being picked random around Abeokuta by some immigration officers.

    “Learnt that they contravened traffic rules around Sapon area and our men were trying to remove the number plate and pushed him and he fell.

    “Presently the driver of that car had been taken to court for the contravention and attacking uniformed officers on duty.”

    Reacting, the Public Relations Officer of NIS, Felix Kuti, said the TRACE officials provoked the reprisal attack, and also justified the abduction of six TRACE corps.

    Kuti said, “Even in family, there is bound to be disagreements. But among the uniformed men, there should be ‘espirit de corp.’ As a uniformed man, if you see another uniformed man in trouble, you must come to his aid. But when that is not being respected, there is problem.

    “The TRACE assaulted two of our men this morning and one of them is a Chief Superintendent of Immigration around Sapon area, they tore his uniform, and wounded him. He suffered injury to the mouth.

    “They later took him away, up till now, we are yet to see him. There is something called law of reciprocity. If I am looking for my brother and I cannot locate him, and I know you have taken him, it is possible that I may be tempted to equally take yours. When you give me my own, I give you your own.”

     

  • ‘Lagos requires additional 18m facilities for growing populace’

    ‘Lagos requires additional 18m facilities for growing populace’

    The Chairman of Lagos State branch of Nigeria Institution of Surveyors (NIS), Mr. Olugbenga Alara, has decried the overstretching of infrastructure facilities in Lagos State, saying the current situation if left unaddressed could lead to chaos in transportation and planning

     Alara, stated this at the 2015 Annual General Meeting (AGM) and Luncheon of the branch during the week .He lamented that facilities in Lagos are overstretched, and stressed that government and professionals must genuinely collaborate to address the challenges.

     He added: “Surveying, as we have been telling the public ever since is the bedrock of all meaningful planning and development. The contribution of surveying to development cannot be overemphasized and the best surveyed cities of the world are the best developed because everything has to be in its rightful place.

    “It is the surveyor that will determine what should be cited in a particular place putting into consideration the topography and the vital infrastructure needed in a place.  If the information provided by the surveyor is followed and interpreted by relevant professionals, the nation will witness the birth of better developed societies.”

    Speaking on his plan for the Institution, Olugbenga said one of his major areas of focus is the leadership mentoring initiative where the young members of the profession would be tutored on the history of surveying, the present practice and the better ways of practice, as well as morality of governance.

     Immediate past Lagos State Commissioner for Physical Planning, Land and Urban Development, Toyin Ayinde who was the guest lecturer, underscored the need for strategic planning and implementation to tackle the myriad of challenges facing Lagos as the centre of commerce and economic hub of the West African region.

     The former commissioner, who traced the history of how Lagos started as small fishing and trading settlement, recalled that the Ikorodu road was constructed in 1976 when the population of Lagos was around four million, and that the road was now serving about 22million people, hence the need for strategic urban renewal thinking, planning and implementation.

    While emphasising that the major solution to the challenges remained good governance at all levels, Ayinde also challenged professionals to be involved more in politics and be ready to contribute to the development of the society.

    He said the failure of any country is the failure of its professionals, and as such, the Nigerian professionals must be ready to sincerely and genuinely commit to the development and advancement of the nation.

  • Boko Haram: Immigration officer sues employer, DSS, AGF

    A senior official of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), accused of supporting the Boko Haram sect, and was detained for 21 days has sued his employer, the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) , alleging plot to eliminate him for exposing fraudulent dealings in the NIS.

    Daniel Makolo, a Chief Superintendent of Immigration (CSI), formerly attached to the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, said he was arrested and detained with some of his colleagues by the DSS in late 2012 over allegation by his employer, that they aided a terror kingpin, Abdul Rahman, to enter the country.

    Makolo stated in a fundamental rights enforcement suit he filed before the Federal High Court, Abuja, that the allegation was aimed at eliminating him because he had queried some alleged unlawful and fraudulent activities of some senior management personnel of the NIS.

  • NIS to deploy officers to MM2 for regional flights

    NIS to deploy officers to MM2 for regional flights

    Nigeria Immigration Service’s (NIS) will soon deploy its officers to the new Immigration Control areas at the Murtala Muhammed Airport 2 Ikeja (MM2) for the kick-off  of West African flights on December 1.

    Its Comptroller-General, Martin Kure Abeshi, made this known at the weekend at a meeting with Mr. Christopher Pennick, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Ltd – the operators of the MM2 Terminal.

    Pennick was at the Service Headquarters to brief the Abeshi on the extent of work done at the airport to ensure that its facilities meet international standards.

    He confirmed that Bi-Courtney has provided well-furnished offices for both administrative and operational duties of the immigration service and other necessary facilities needed for passengers’ clearance, especially in the departure and arrival halls.

    A statement issued by the NIS Public Relations Officer and Deputy Comptroller of Immigration, Ekpedeme King, said the Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Ltd has provided a transit area for interline passengers and a holding area for passengers that might be refused entry into Nigeria and needed to be repatriated.

    King said Pennick, during his meeting with Abeshi, formally requested that NIS personnel be deployed early for the take-off of the first international flight.

    The NIS boss said the service has been monitoring developments at the MM2 since the Federal Government and the firm signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and was satisfied with developments.

    Airlines such as Dana, Aero Contractors and Medview will begin flight using the MM2 to Accra and a few other destinations in West Africa.

  • NIS appoints new PRO

    NIS appoints new PRO

    The new management of the Nigeria immigration Service (NIS) on Tuesday in Abuja announced Deputy Comptroller Ekpedeme King as the new spokesperson of the Service.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that King is to take over from Assistant Comptroller Chukuemeka Obua, who has been redeployed to the Lagos Command.

    Until his deployment, King was the second-in-Command at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.

    The posting is contained in a staff posting order vide NIS/ABJ/1027/VV/T111/562 dated Sept. 2, 2015.

    The new spokesperson told NAN after a brief handover ceremony on Tuesday in Abuja that the Public Relations Unit would be repositioned to enhance professionalism.

    He thanked the outgoing PRO for all the support and charged other officers of the unit to work as a team in the course of their duty.

    He also called on journalist and media organisations to support the new administration in its bid to reposition the NIS in line with the change agenda of the Federal government.

    It will be recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari had on August, 27 announced Mr. Martin Abeshi as the new Comptroller-General (CG) of the NIS following the suspension of the former NIS CG, Mr. David Parradang.