CGI Isa Idris: Deepening Border Security, Passport Issuance

With more than 5,000 land borders and shorelines, Chiemelie Ezeobi reports that manning Nigeria’s borders is a herculean task. With the core mandate of the Nigerian Immigration Service being border security, the acting Comptroller General of Immigration, Isa Idris, recently reiterated that deployment of technology is the best way. In a new year dialogue to chart the way forward for 2022, the CGI also addressed the challenges of passport scarcity, funding and corruption

Undoubtedly, the territorial integrity and borders of each nation are very crucial to its development. This is because porous borders spell doom while tightened borders enhance security.

At these borders are a crop of persons who have sworn to protect the territorial integrity of their nation. Nigeria is no different in this equation as its Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) is tasked with this arduous task. This means that the role of the NIS is beyond issuance of passports given that its core mandate is border security.

Tasked to spearhead the effective security the Nigerian borders and deepening passport application and issuance reform with a view to enabling a seamless process is the acting Comptroller-General of Immigration (CGI), Isa Idris.

Consolidation

Upon assumption of office on September 10, 2021, the acting Comptroller pledged to consolidate on gains recorded already. Prior to his present position, he was a Deputy Comptroller General in charge of Finance and Account, before he was appointed as a substantive Comptroller General by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Making this pledge at his formal presentation to the Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola by the Federal Commissioners and Board Secretary of the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board (CDCFIB) in Abuja, he admitted knowledge of the daunting task of securing the nation’s borders. This was just as he offered effective service to Nigerians and migrants.

According to him, he was not under any illusion whatsoever about the herculean task which lay ahead, however, he hoped to, with the support of the federal government, the Ministry of Interior, officers and men of the service, as well as the collaboration of all relevant stakeholders, consolidate on existing legacies of past administrations.

Policy Thrust

But aside consolidation, he also vowed to strive to fill identified gaps and take the NIS to greater heights.

For the Comptroller, he hoped to achieve this through a three-pronged policy thrust, including ‘Reviewing Border Security Strategies’ by enabling a committee of experts to re-examine the strategies with a view to ascertaining the overall effectiveness and efficiency of the Service’s Border Management Policies and Operations;

‘Critically Assessing Passport Operations’ to find lasting solution to the incessant challenge of Passport Booklet scarcity and; ‘Improving Staff Welfare’ through massive capacity building and entrepreneurship training for officers and men as well as prompt action to address pending allowances and other claims of officers and men.

Media Dialogue

Four months down the line, how far has the CGI gone to live up to the pledge he made last September? In an informal media dialogue on New Year’s Day, the CGI brought selected media up to speed on what has been done so far, especially the thorny issue of delay in passport issuance and expectations for Year 2022.

He also touched on border management and the role of technology, challenges of funding as well as the incessant last minute passport applications, which creates further backlog.

Improved Border Management

Harping on the core mandate of the service, which is border security, the CGI said the service would not allow itself to be reduced to a passport production agency.

He said: “The core mandate of NIS is border security and with more than 5,000 land borders and shorelines, the deployment of technology is the best way to tackle the problems.

“The service is leaving no stone unturned towards ensuring that Nigerians can sleep with their two eyes closed. That is why improved border management is part of my three-point agenda when I took over the leadership in acting capacity in September.”

Tackling Difficulties in Passport Issuance
One of the thorny areas that has bedevilled passport offices in years is scarcity of passports. During the media interaction, the CGI promised Nigerians who may be experiencing difficulty in either renewing their international passports or securing new ones that the challenges currently being experienced will be a thing of the past by March, 2022.

Blaming the challenge of delayed passport production on the COVID -19 pandemic and the accompanying global lockdowns, as well as the difficulty in accessing foreign exchange in the country, he said part of the efforts towards addressing the problem is the launch of the enhanced e-passport, which he noted has been embedded with improved features.

He said apart from the United Kingdom where it was launched, the service through the support of the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari and the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, has inaugurated such centres in Kano, Port Harcourt and Ibadan.

He said; “Just Friday we received a total of 45,000 booklets towards clearing the backlogs and in December alone, we received more than 100,000 booklets which we have continued to distribute across the passport centres nationwide. This is not just for Nigerians in Nigeria alone but for those in the Diaspora as well.

“But with the introduction of the enhanced e-Passport, we are good to go in our efforts towards addressing the scarcity. This enhanced e-passport is a great improvement on the biometric passport technology which we adopted as a country in 2007. It is a strategic step towards curbing forgery, impersonation and other forms of fraud associated with obtaining travel documents under the old Machine Readable Passport regime.

“And because we know that technology helps to address some of our challenges, including corruption, we have continued to try to stop personal contacts with our officials. My predecessor started to break the jinx and we are continuing on that. We plead with applicants to apply only online and stop physical contacts with our officers to avert corrupt practices.”

Reiterating that by this week more booklets will be received towards clearing the backlogs, he appealed to Nigerians to understand the service and
stop engaging in last-minute rush for either renewal or fresh application for international passports.

Stressing that the service is working hard to ensure full compliance to the three-week duration for renewal and six-week waiting period for fresh applications, he said there is nowhere in the world where passports are produced in 24 hours except in emergency situations.

He said: “The waiting period is for us to validate the addresses provided by the applicants. So Nigerians should not forget that they have six months to renew their passport. They should not wait till it expires, and of course, there are other emergencies, and there is a window for them.”

Funding
For systems that work, funding is always key. On this, the CGI complained about poor funding and said the organisation is working towards securing approval so that it could be able to spend part of its generated revenues to service the organisation and its men.

According to him, workers that are not motivated will find it hard not to engage in corrupt practices and that he is committed to improving the welfare of his officers for improved productivity and efficiency.

Appeal for Cooperation

He pleaded with Nigerians and particularly the media for cooperation and support, saying there are dedicated channels for complaints about the officers’ conducts and the services of the organisation.

About the CG

The alumnus of Bayero University Kano where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Mass Communication in 1985, the acting Comptroller General hails from Kaduna State.

He joined the service in 1987 as a Deputy Superintendent of Immigration (DSI) and has served in various commands and formations including Adamawa, Borno, and Benue State Commands among others.

He was the Deputy Comptroller General in charge of Finance and Accounts until September 10, 2021, when he took over from the former Comptroller General, Muhammad Babandede (rtd) as acting Comptroller General.

Quote

The service is leaving no stone unturned towards ensuring that Nigerians can sleep with their two eyes closed. That is why improved border management is part of my three-point agenda