TheNewsGuru

Tag: NIS

  • Extortion: NIS bans cash payments at passport offices

    Extortion: NIS bans cash payments at passport offices

    The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has banned cash payments for passport processing as part of efforts to eliminate corruption at all passport offices nationwide.‎

    NIS spokesperson, Sunday James, disclosed this in an interview with newsmen in Abuja on Monday.

    He‎ said that the Comptroller General of the NIS, Mr Muhammad Babandede, has directed that henceforth all payments for passport processing must be done online and through designated banks‎.‎

    He said that the NIS boss had, in a circular, directed‎ all passport control officers not to allow cash payments in any of the passport premises.

    “All payments in respect to passport processing are to be done by applicants through banks to generate application ID and reference number on the NIS portal and not through an individual or touts,” James said.

    According to him, the NIS CG has also ordered an‎ investigation into allegations of passport racketeering at some passport offices in Lagos with a view to sanitising the system.‎

    James, therefore, urged passport applicants to ensure that all categories of Nigerian passports fees were done online. ‎

    “Passport applicants are therefore strongly advised to visit the NIS website www.immigration.gov.ng to confirm the approved fees for all categories of Nigerian Passports and age groups before making payments,” he added.

    He said that the management of all passport offices have been directed to paste all information required at the premises to guide applicants in line with the executive orders.

    He urged Nigerians to direct any complaint or enquiries to 07080607900 and the email address nis.servicom@nigeriaimmigration.gov.ng.

    The spokesperson advised applicants against patronising touts or agents‎ in order to ensure efficient service delivery.

    The NIS boss had vowed to stamp out corruption in the operations of the NIS as part of efforts to reposition the Service and ensure efficient service delivery.

     

     

    NAN

     

  • NIS recruitment: Only 1,112 spaces available – Dambazzau

    …as over 40,000 candidates already applied

    Minister of Interior, Lt. Gen. Abdulrahaman Dambazzau (rtd), has said that only 1,112 applicants will be employed in the ongoing Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) recruitment.

    Dambazzau said this on Monday in Abuja, shortly after the presentation of the handbook on the operations of the Presidential Executive Order at the NIS headquarters.

    Reports say more than 40,000 applicants had already applied for the advertised NIS jobs.

    “There were two aborted Immigration recruitment that were done. The first one led to fatality and casualties. The second one was dispersed following discovery of so many abnormalities which two thousands of them were sent home.

    “When we came in November 2015, we looked at the whole thing and we discovered for the second one that it was not all the faults of the candidates as such but it was the process that was followed.

    “So, we wrote a memo to Mr President that we should recall those candidates, 2000 of them, so that we can reassess them and the President graciously approved that and we advertised in papers and I think about 1,500 or so reported and out of this number 888 qualified for that recruitment.

    Now the balance of 1, 112 is what we are working on now, that is the reason of the recent advertisement by the Nigerian Immigration Service to recruit that balance of 1,112 and this is the process we are in now,” the Minister said.

  • NIS commences massive issuance of international passports

    NIS commences massive issuance of international passports

    Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has commenced massive issuance of international passports to intending travellers to clear the backlog of applications caused by non-availability of booklets.

    A competent immigration source told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that the NIS recently took delivery of new passport booklets which were distributed to all passport offices nationwide.

    NAN reports that many intending travellers had difficulties in obtaining international passports since the beginning of the year due to non-availability of passport booklets.

    NAN learnt that the immigration high command also directed all passport offices to extend their working hours to 2 p.m. on Saturdays in order to clear the backlog of passport applications.

    “Our working hours have been extended to Saturdays; we now work from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays.

    “The extension is to enable us treat the backlog of international passport requests by Nigerians,’’ a senior immigration official told NAN at the Passport Office, Ikoyi, Lagos.

    He explained that the booklets were printed in Malaysia adding that the non-availability was caused by scarcity of foreign exchange.

    He assured that the extended working hours would enable the service to clear the backlog within a short period.

    “We are sure all matters relating to request and collection of international passports will be resolved in due course,’’ the source said.

    Mr Adele Yussuf, an applicant who spoke to NAN at Ikoyi Passport Office, expressed delight at the way the NIS was handling the processing passport applications.

    He expressed optimism that the extended working hours would help in clearing the backlog of applications.

    Mr Osugbo Emeka, another applicant, urged the service to process the existing applications before working on new requests.

     

    NAN

  • NIS effects major shake-up, redeploys spokesperson, 206 other senior officers

    NIS effects major shake-up, redeploys spokesperson, 206 other senior officers

     

    The Comptroller-General of Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS, Muhammad Babandede has approved the redeployment of 207 senior officers of the Service.

    Those affected were between the ranks of Asst. Comptroller-General and Comptroller.‎

    They include ACG Ezekiel Kaura who now heads the ICT Department; Chizoba Dibi has been promoted to ACG and posted to Zone ‘G’ in Benin as Zonal Coordinator; ACG Hamman Yerima from Delta State Command to the Investigation and Intelligence Directorate at the Headquarters, Abuja.

    CIS Epuku Usman takes over as the Comptroller, Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos as CIS Felix Odika heads the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Command, Abuja.

    Also affected is Ekpedeme King, the Service Public Relations Officer who has been promoted to the rank of Comptroller and deployed to head the Anambra State Command.

    Similarly, 37 Passport Control Officers have been redeployed in a posting order, which was said to be “in line with the implementation of the new posting policy of the NIS”.

    The CGI noted that he was impressed that unlike previous postings, the NIS did not witness requests from outside the Service for certain officers to be posted to particular offices.

    He added that the redeployment was a strategic move to leverage on the recent gains achieved in service delivery.

    “Therefore, I am mandating you to ensure the sustainability of the Service reforms in all NIS platforms. What you did to receive commendations in your previous posts, do the same in your new offices.

    “As a matter of fact, you are hereby mandated to implement the NIS Strategic Roadmap towards 2019 that was developed through a painstaking and extensive consultation process at the Management Retreat in 2016, copies of which will be made available to you in due course”, he said.