The newly appointed Acting Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Caroline Wura-Ola Adepoju, has directed workers of the service to henceforth ensure prompt issuance of passports.
She directed all passports offices nationwide to ensure that no Nigerian suffers any hardship, delay or ill-treatment in the course of applying for a passport and obtaining one.
Adepoju took over the leadership of the NIS at its headquarters yesterday in Abuja, following the retirement of the erstwhile CGIS Isah Jere Idris.
Addressing top management of the service on assuming office, the Acting CGIS promised to focus on passports issuance and welfare of personnel.
“For now, I will focus majorly on passport issues and staff welfare as these are two areas in which the NIS receives most of the complaints of Nigerians and NIS personnel,” she said.
In a statement by the spokesman of the NIS, Tony Akuneme, the acting CGIS said a stakeholders’ meeting would be convened in the next few days to x-ray the real issues in passport process and proffer far-reaching solutions.
She noted that some of the solutions might include opening more front offices in the Lagos area, where the bulk of the complaints emanated from.
Adepoju said she would adopt a bottoms-up approach in tackling officers’ welfare, stressing that the measures would start by meeting all cadres of workers to hear their complaints.
The acting CGIS promised to hit the ground running with a blueprint that would be based on an all-inclusive needs assessment.
She hailed the immediate past CGIS for his patriotic service to the nation, praying God to guide him in his future endeavours.
