130 Immigration Officers Train in A’Ibom on Efficient Service Delivery

Okon Bassey in Uyo

No fewer than 130 officers and men have been trained by the Akwa Ibom State Command of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) on effective leadership and efficient service delivery.

The NIS State Comptroller, CIS Livingstone Amadi, disclosed this on Saturday in Uyo while fielding questions from newsmen at a leadership training session for 30 officers of the command.

He hinted that the command had earlier trained 100 officers and men on the best practices of border security and management.

“The essence of the training is to inculcate in the officers the need to update their knowledge of migration management. Between now and the end of year, there will be constant training sessions to keep officers abreast of the global trend on how to receive travellers at the airport, seaport and border posts.

“The officers and men of the Immigration Service need training on modern day migration technique because they are the gatekeepers of the country’s borders,” Amadi said.

According to him, the leadership training programme was organised for the officers and men of the command in collaboration with an Uyo-based leadership training academy, the Eunice Thomas Leadership Academy (ETLA).

Amadi said the command was keying into the vision of the NIS Comptroller-General, CGI Muhammad Babandede, with the aim of empowering officers through training to make them efficient and proactive.

The state comptroller said his vision was to make the state command the best in terms of service delivery and staff discipline.

The state NIS boss advised the Nigerian youths to be wary of making risky trip abroad in search of opportunities for quick money.

Amadi urged the youths to cultivate the habit of hard work, self-discipline and patience, emphasising that Nigeria has enormous opportunities for the youths than risky journey abroad.

In a remark, the president of the Academy (ETLA), Mrs. Eunice Thomas, said she was impressed by the level of discipline and efficiency in the NIS, Akwa Ibom command.

Thomas, who is a former Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Welfare in Akwa Ibom, lauded the state comptroller for giving the state headquarters of NIS a facelift.

She said her academy decided to collaborate with NIS in the state on leadership training based on the positive changes she had seen in the operations of the command.

Lauding the state NIS for quick service delivery, Mrs. Thomas said she had witnessed the command issue passport to applicants within one day, unlike before.