Federal government has ordered the newly decorated comptroller-general of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) Mrs Caroline Wura-Ola Adepoju, to ensure that Nigerian borders were not only policed effectively, but also to ensure that they were saved from the influx of illegal aliens.
The minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, gave the directive while officially decorating Mrs Wura-Ola Adepoju with her new rank on Wednesday, in Abuja.
Tunji-Ojo, who charged her to pay urgent attention to the management of Nigeria’s land, air and water borders, said in particular, more personnel should be deployed to effectively man the nation’s borders.
With Adepoju ‚s decoration as the 18th substantive CGI , she becomes the 3rd female to occupy the position.
He charged her to redirect the affairs of the NIS on the path of honour where extant rules and regulations, due process and standard practice are followed, stressing that decisive measures must be taken to address corrupt practices, indiscipline and wrong-doings.
According to the minister, other issues that must be urgently addressed include the alleged excess charges for Nigeria’s standard passport, indiscriminate issuance of official and diplomatic passports and sharp practices associated with numerous immigration services.
The minister who pledged to undertake surgical review of the entire system to allow officers get to the top of their careers said the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board (CDCFIB) which he is the chairman, would review and rework the whole system to put the staff at the centre of what the ministry is doing.
He vowed to ensure that all the agencies under his watch regain their glory and take its rightful pride of place.
“If a nation cannot secure its borders, such a nation can never safeguard its citizens.
“The ability of Nigerians to be able to sleep with their two eyes closed rests on your shoulders,” the minister told immigration officers.
The minister also decorated the six newly appointed deputy comptrollers – general of the service; DCG Usman Auna, DCG Babangida Usman, DCG Zainab Lawal, DCG Sadat Hassan, DCG Ijeoma Emenike and DCG Kemi Nandap.
