Photo caption: James Sunday, Comptroller,NIS, Rivers State Command
The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) Rivers State Command Comptroller, James Sunday, PCC, described the service as a major Investment Driver of the Country.
While speaking to the media on the roles of the service impacting on the nation’s economy, the Comptroller James posited that the service as gatekeeper of the nation, manning the entry and exit of persons in the form of migration, has a lot to do with the social, economic, political, security, educational, and religious development of the country as well the health status of the country with respect to the National Visa Policy and other extant rules on entry, exit, investment, residence and visitors into the country.
James observed that the major roles played in controlling entry and exit into the country during the ravaging days of Ebola and Corona Virus etc, where the NIS is at the frontline of the airports and land borders have to play prominent role in controlling human movement into and out of the country in the form of migration, the health security of the country was preserved and sustained through migration management and control, refusing ill health persons and carriers of transmittable diseases into Nigeria, between the years the country was faced by the pandemics, and this I call a healthy nation is a wealthy nation.
The Nigeria Immigration Service impactful role in the Joint Task Force(JTF),was visible in the supporting roles played to back up the military at the frontline of the theatre in the North East , as personnel of the service were drafted in their hundreds to the North East and involved in both defence support, sorting out of forcefully conscripted, abducted Nigerians by the insurgents, from other apprehended non Nigerians intercepted within cross fire and rescued during operations, or those on the run intercepted during patrols around safe corridors or those holed out from hideouts around the theatre of war along the flanks of the borderlines of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states areas that experienced the greater effect of the asymmetric war between the Federal forces and the insurgents, the role of sorting out is major to avoid mistaken Nigerians for non-Nigerians when rescuing displayed persons, refugees ,abducted Nigerians and non-Nigerians, preventing irregular entry and safe exits where necessary.
On Investment Drive, the Nigeria Immigration Service National Visa policy plays prominent role in ensuring the right type of visa is issued to prospective visitors, experts and migrants of whatever category to permit legal and regular entry into Nigeria with an appropriate visa such as the Visa on Arrival(VoA), Business Visa for Business discussions and investment drives, Temporary Work Permit, (TWP)for experts invited for major high skilled maintenance, servicing and repair works for which there are no local experts within the country, who are capable of carrying out such operations.
Those coming for full employment are given a Subject To Regularisation(STR) visa to take up employment on a quota based employment in companies .
These are areas that calls for enforcement, monitoring, surveillance and deployment of operatives around the country by the Nigeria Immigration Service in the 36 State Commands and FCT, where monitoring, control and supervision of activities and engagements of migrants residents, workers and visitors is carried out through the instrumentality and enforcement of the provisions of the Immigration Act,2015 and Immigration Regulations 2017 and other extant rules of service and the grand norm the Nigerian Constitution.
The Nigeria Immigration Service under Comptroller General of Immigration Service Isa Jere Idris, has witnessed massive deployment of human and capital resources to the North East especially the personnel recently mobilised in their hundreds to the Joint Task Force, those on Border Patrols around the country and operations at the international airports across the country, border control posts, patrol bases and marine patrols all in an effort to check influx and irregular migrations in and out of the country.
Also, the deployment of seasoned and highly skilled heads of commands to every state as Comptrollers geared towards ensuring effective border security in the states and curbing of influx of irregular migrants, monitoring and control of those on permits / visas issued to enable them visit, work and resides and to ensure they operate within stipulated frame and space for their work, residence, visit, investment and are doing what they are legitimately allowed by the law in accordance with the visas they entered the country with.
Each state Command by its peculiarity operates either as landlocked, sea border or air border and are managed and controlled with facilities commensurate to their location, deploying necessary immigration assets for effective performance of the operatives.
For us in Rivers State, the state is bordered by the sea, blue economy and offshore operations by multinationals, air border operations is prevalent, through Helipads and the international airports, these forms major operational activities around which the economic activities of the country revolves ,due to oil exploration activities of the multinational oil companies and explorers ,their experts, operatives whose movement in and out of the state to platforms offshore must be monitored and controlled for proper documentation and to ensure needed security of the country, amidst sustained investment drive.
The Nigeria Immigration Service beyond issuance and administration of passport and other travel documents, migration control through issuance of visas, residence permits, it is a major investment driver of the country.
- James Sunday, is the Comptroller of Immigration Service Rivers State Command
Itís nearly impossible to find educated people in this particular subject, however, you seem like you know what youíre talking about! Thanks