The Comptroller General of the Immigration Service, CGIS Kemi Nandap, has urged personnel of the service to deliver their services with the utmost decorum and transparency, News About Nigeria reports.
She gave this charge while speaking at the flag-off of a two-day sensitization and enlightenment programme tagged “Mitigating Corruption and Improving Service Delivery in the NIS”, held at the Passport Office in Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos.
She noted that the Nigerian Immigration Service provides specialised services to Nigerians and non-Nigerians and maintained that it is necessary that the service be done at the exact fee advertised, without hidden charges.
The CGIS, who was represented by the Special Adviser on Anti-Corruption Unit, DCI Florence Lairan, also noted that corruption was not limited to embezzlement of money alone but also included extortion of applicants and deliberate delay aimed at compelling applicants to do their billing.
She added that the sensitisation is in line with President Bola Tinubu’s transformation agenda and the CGIS’ vision of a corrupt-free immigration service.
“Corruption no doubt is a cancer which has eaten deep into the fabrics of the Nigerian systems, in which NIS is no exception. If not critically diagnosed and treated, it can kill the Nigerian nation.
“Primarily, the Nigeria Immigration Service is a security outfit, however, service-oriented, as it provides specialised services to Nigerians and non-Nigerians who wish to traverse, visit, or reside in Nigeria.
“Such services are expected to be proffered with all the decorum they deserve. They must be given in a transparent manner, that is, at exact fee as advertised, without hidden charges. Therefore, timely and transparent service is a task that must be done,” she stated.
She further highlighted steps taken by the NIS leadership to mitigate corruption, including the establishment of a legal framework for acts of corrupt practices as enshrined in the Immigration Act of 2015, establishment of complaint formation like SERVOICOM, contact centre, decentralisation of certain operations to command and the deployment of technology to aid processes and transparency.
She added that the service has facilitated the establishment of the CGIS Control Room, where activities in all the NIS formations could easily be monitored as part of the measures to check officers.
“This is a huge step taken by the leader of the service towards limiting the rate of corruption. Officers are therefore encouraged to do what is right and acceptable at all times in order to avoid being summoned or sanctioned based on unacceptable behaviors,” she added.
