PICTURE: From the front row: Comptroller Rivers State, NIS Command, James Sunday, PCC (left) chatting with the Passport Control Officer, DCI Audi Musa Maisudan at the Rivers Passport Office,Mile 1, Portharcourt.
The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) Rivers State Passport Office in Portharcourt has reeled out over 6,000 processed passports in one month.
The feat was achieved by the new Passport Control Officer Deputy Comptroller Audi Musa Maisudan.
Appreciating the strides made by the Passport Officer, the Comptroller in-charge of the NIS, Rivers State Command CIS James Sunday, PCC during a working visit commended the passport officer and his team for not letting the service down.
The press statement signed by the River state Command’s Public Relations Officer, maintained that the feat was in line with the directives of the Minister of Interior Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola and the Comptroller General of Immigration Service Isah Jere Idris that Passport acquisition should not be a concern to Nigerians.
According to him, “if the process was duely followed in line with laid down rules of applying online, paying online and going by the appointment dates for capturing and collection, it would prevent rowdiness and undue pressure on the system. “
The Comptroller said the NIS system had helped in reducing backlog and every applicant that follows due process is attended to on appointment dates and their passport collected at the appropriate collection dates stipulated by the service.
“It has reduced toutings,rushes and applicants are getting use to allowing a system to work as an institution instead of using third party who are mostly touts .
“I visited the passport office to see to compliance with Ministers directive as well as the Comptroller Generals directive for Comptrollers to supervise professionally the activities in the Passport office operation and officers alike to ensure nothing untoward takes place and that Nigerians get the best treat and service for the product the service(NIS) offers.
“The public must be treated with dignity, humane and respect at all times,because of the importance placed on a valued relationship between a service provider and its clients’ said the Comptroller.
According to him, the Passport Officer demonstrated high sense of responsibility and dedication to his work,hence my commendation of his performance.
“We also removed some old hands who have being around for between 2 and 3 years by moving them to other units of the command except those technically inclined in production whose character is in tandem with the service expectation,
“The speed dedication and commitment of these officers on technical has contributed to the achievement we are celebrating,while charging them to keep doing their best to make Rivers Passport Office a preferred destination and first among equals in service delivery and customer care” he said.
The Comptroller warned against Non Challancy and unethical practices and promised to reward bad eggs with appropriate sanctions as stipulated in the Code of Conduct Service rules anytime there is infringement.
He also enjoined applicants to avoid use of third party staying that time was against “me syndrome of now, now request” which the system does not allow.
He said ,every applicant should endeavour to follow due process and give enough time between the expiration of their passport and time to approach the passport office for collection of their passports.
