New NIS Comptroller expresses worry over lack of visit to website, promises to partner with media 

By Pamela Eboh Awka

The Comptroller, Nigeria Immigration Services NIS, Anambra State Command, Mrs Ngozi Odikpo has harped on the need for customers to renew their passports not less than six months before the expiration date.

She said that failure of early renewal will prevent the affected person from travelling with the passport.

Accordong to her, there are some changes in passport issuance processes in the state immigration  office, adding that in two weeks time, their system would be configured to migrate to the appointment based system in Anambra.

Odikpo who stated this while receing the new executive of the Nigeria Ublnion of Journalists , NUJ Anambra State chapter led by Dr Emeka Odogwu wondered why people hardly visit their website to extract information, saying that all services are on the website.

While giving the dom address  as immigration.gov.ng, she said, “All the information you need about us, our facilities and services are on our website. NIS has been adjuged as an institution with the most user friendly website. We don’t know why people do not access the website. People  should always visit the website to be well informed.

“We are also ready to attend to all our customers during our customers service week which starts from Monday February 14 to Friday 17, especially on 16 and 17.”

“side issuiance of passports, NIS with its staff posted all over the local government areas, provides other services including ECOWAS travelling and residency documents, undercover, surveillance and grassroots investigation.

“After you complete the online passport processing, you will generate an appointment date in which you will attended to. It is a system configured. It does not depend on any officer. And anything outside that date you will not be attended to unless approved from our head office.”

The Comptroller promised to partner with the NUJ for improved service delivery, noting that with the media, their clients would be well informed of their services and new innovation .

“We are aware that a collaboration with the media is essential in what we do. We know that with this partnership people will be cleared in the area they are not sure of. We will do everything humanly possible to deliver on our mandate”, she added.

Earlier in his speech, the Chairman, NUJ, Anambra State Council, Dr Emeka Odogwu, called on the Anambra State government to liaise with the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company EEDC to connect the State command of Nigeria Immigration Services to national grid, as not doing so had impacted negatively on their services.

He called on the command to expedite action towards improving in their international passports processing services, including the need to investigate and possibly put an end to alleged corrupt practices in the system.

Ge gave assurance that journalists in the state would never relent in reporting their activities professionally.