International Passports: We are determined to phase out touts, Imo NIS boss assures Nigerians

Patrick Ogomegbunem Ebegbune, Comptroller of Immigration Service, NIS, Imo State Command, Owerri

By Everest Ezihe, Owerri

Worried by the menace touts are causing in processing international passports, Comptroller of Immigration Service, Imo State Command, Patrick Ebegbune says Nigeria Immigration Services, (NIS) is now more than ever before, determined to phase out touting in the business of acquisition of international passports and other of their services as the Service has provided the enabling environment through their functional Websites for every applicant to access their services and make the necessary documentations and payments.

Ebegbune disclosed this on Friday during a media interaction with newstap.com.ng in his office at the Federal Secretariat, Owerri.

He said it point blank that NIS through their Public Relations Office, have been able to sensitized Nigerian applicants of International Passports on the need for them to go online using NIS Website and follow due process in filling their application forms.

“Honestly, if the applicants can leverage on the website technology services provided to them by the NIS and Ministry of Interior, the touts will naturally fizzle out.

“The simple instruction is go to the Website, download whatever form you want to download, using your laptop or computer or palmtop or even your Smart phone, fill the necessary form and attache the needed documents, definitely if they do this, the touts will not remain in business, because there’s nobody to patronize them, that’s basically the problem.

“Honestly, on our own, we are doing a lot to chase the touts away, but unfortunately, the International Passport applicants continue to patronize them. Herein, lines our worry.

“Obviously, it’s a two way thing, NIS have done their own part, it’s left for the applicants to jettison the patronage of touts, since it’s for their own overall benefits.
“One it’s relatively cheaper and secondly, they are sure of the originality of what they are doing and receive, thirdly, it will drastically reduce to the barest minimum, the issues of external contacts”.

He further pointed out that most often, these touts are not helping matters, because at times, they assist the applicants in forging documents that often lands them into trouble, leading to querrng their passport application.
it’s part of NIS major challenges, insisting that they are not relenting in their dogged efforts to phase them out totally

On the issue of the Command moving to her Permanent site so as to enjoy good working environment, the Comptroller informed that the site is about 60% completed and Kemi Nanna Nandap, the nation’s new Comptroller General of NIS, is very much committed in seeing that the State Command move in to the new Permanent site before the end of the year.

Ebegbune also stated the frantic efforts he is making to have a meeting with Governor Hope Uzodimma on the issue, most especially for his administration’s assistance in making the area’s internal roads to be accessible and motorable.

According to the Comptroller, “the truth is that, we are not sleeping, we are mindful of the importance of moving to the permanent site, which will equally help us to fish out the touts easily”.

He insisted on blaming the delay in timely getting of International passports to most often, the antics of the touts and some applicants, observing that, if the applicants can maximize the opportunities with the online services of NIS and provide the necessary documents needed with evidence of payments of the necessary fees that the applicants can get their International Passports ready in less than 3 weeks, with the proviso that the requisite booklet is in stock.

On the issue of the activities of immigrants both legal and illegal, he pointed out that Imo State has 27 Local Government Areas and in each of this Local Government Areas they have Immigration Officers with the mandate of monitoring the activities of immigrants, within their respective domain and make reports to the office of the State Comptroller on a regular basis, this helped to put on check the nefarious activities of the immigrants.

Ebegbune re-assured the beneficiaries of their services, that the Command is efficiently and effectively equipped with Servicon Services and manpower, geared towards serving them better.