As part of its Corporate Social Responsibility, Access Bank recently donated brand new office equipment to the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Command.
While presenting the items at the Immigration office at the MMIA, the Executive Director, Retail Banking of Access Bank, Victor Etuokwu, commended the MMIA, Airport Command of the NIS, saying that the bank was prompted to upgrade facilities at Immigration offices at the airport because of the efficient management of the Command.
He commended the MMIA Comptroller, Abdullahi Musa, for his leadership and for the innovations which he introduced that has helped in transforming the Command. He also noted that Immigration officers at the airport have given good testimony of Musa’s style of leadership.
“The role of Immigration is very critical for the country and this Command is efficiently carrying out this their responsibility. At Access Bank, we support good things that is in national interest and that is why we decided to identify with what is happening here. We are happy with what you are doing. You have very credible personnel; officers and men who are happy doing their jobs,” he said.
Responding, the Comptroller expressed appreciation to Access Bank and called on other corporate organisations to emulate the bank. He said the bank took the initiative to approach them and ask how they could be of help and when they were told, the bank promptly provided the much needed equipment.
Speaking further on some of his achievements, he said the command has stepped up its fight against human trafficking around the nations’ airports and has so far denied departure to150 suspected victims. He said the victims are aged between 16-40 and could not convince immigration personnel on duty the reasons for their planned departure. He also said that in the last four months, the command has processed passports for over 58,000 passengers through the Visa On Arrival policy.
He also said that the command has stopped the collection of cash payment for all Visa on Arrival Processing and the has also stepped up its border control procedure with the launch of the Migrant Information Data Analysis System (MIDAS) for passengers flying out of the country.
He said the new system involves digital capturing of 10 fingerprints and is an improvement on the passengers biometric undertaken by the NIS after standard international passport is issued to its owner.