Babandede’s mission to develop infrastructures around the country to improve the personnels working environment has witnessed a giant leap…
Ben Okezie
Each time there is a national problem that needs urgent and drastic solution , the process to the solution could generate a lot of thinking that can assert so much pressure on the government most especially security issues. Interestingly, the Nigeria immigration service on realising the magnitude of their headache had wisely decided to move its tent to the newly recovered tourist center of the North East of the country, to discuss their numerous headaches and also proffer solutions like medicine not only to cure but bring lasting solution. The recent three days conference of senior officers of immigration in Borno State left no one in doubt about the seriousness of those assembled to x-ray and proffer solutions. What were the problems that have developed into national headache. Among them include security issues relating to perceived porous border and challenges of its patrol, personnel misbehavior, welfare and other noticeable infringement of existing immigration laws.
READ ALSO: Muhammad Babandede’s scorecard (1)
Nigeria have suffered immensely due to its faulty policy on border security. That Muhammad Babandede the Comptroller-General of Nigeria immigration eventually deemed it appropriate to reappraise the challenges emanating from the vast Nigerian border means that the problems have been identified. We know that porous borders enhances the illegal entry of aliens as well as terrorists and their weapons into the country.
The country had severally witnessed the use of our borders by transborder armed robbers and drug smugglers. We have witnessed how law enforcement agents have stooped so low in the discharge of their official assignments. It is no secret to hear of enforcement agents along the land borders and international airports conniving with criminals to perpetrate criminality. Its therefore heart warming to hear a head of an institution vowing to publicly disgrace such “criminals in uniform”.
Babandede did not stop at that, he also promised to follow up any allegations of wrongdoing against any of his personnel.
Today, not only that the dignity of the institution has been restored, Babandede and his management team have left no stone unturned in ensuring that the moral and welfare of the personnels are adequately taken care of.
The articulation and visionary focus of the immigration team have endeared them to the presidency which has resulted in the approval of a new polycarbonate Passport that has over 25 new features and ready for launch this December. The anticipated new e-passport booklet has 10 years validity lifespan. Nigerians in the Diaspora have applauded this visionary innovation of Babandede. Another commendable move is the move to ensure that passports confiscated by various courts are not reapplied for as missing by their owners. Babandede’s mission to develop infrastructures around the country to improve the personnels working environment has witnessed a giant leap with the revamping of many ailing operational infrastructures and building of new facilities, some already completed. All in a bid to better improve the workplace and environments of personnel in Jigawa, Kano, Plateau, Imo, Nasarawa, Sokoto, Enugu, and Gombe .
The most important knotty issue that the management team is already making a successful and impactful headway is how to better control the porous border and effectively control them with available logistics and available border security technology. Truely, when a countries border is safe and effectively well patrolled, the issue of illegal immigrant, cross border criminality and terrorism would be reduced.
The geographical positioning of a country can either help or frustrate its border patrol.
Also when the right attitude is displayed by the central government, security personnels and citizens along the border, challenges are better reduced or minimised. The incessant compromising nature of both security agents and the citizens leaves much to be desired. Such negative attitudes portrays a country in dire dilemma of a porous border. It is therefore necessary to suggest a quarterly meeting of all the governors whose states transcend the country border, their security heads, traditional leaders to meet with a view of coming out with a more effective border security policy.
Countries with such policy have been able to overcome the type of incidents befalling our country. We have a pathetic situation whereby terrorists now regroup in neighbouring countries to launch dastardly attacks on our military formations and villages. It is imperative for the central government to constantly upgrade both the logistics and technology available to the Nigeria immigration Service (NIS). If the NIS succeed, the appreciating glory would be the attendance peace and business flow that would be attracted. Some of these gains are gradually being attained with the implementation of previous policies formulated by the Babandede team. By understanding the dynamic nature of immigration service and the consequences of a mismanaged border security, it therefore behoves on the team to further double its efforts administratively and operationally in the overall interest of the country. It is by so doing, that already planned out strategies can achieve the desired results. Such manifested results includes the recent approval of the construction and furnishing of the N7 billion naira technology building that would help in the management, control and processing security data of migrants across the border. This building will revolutionise all the data by helping in interfacing with other groups.
With this, dangerous movements across the Sahara desert and the Mediterranean Sea by our uninformed youths would be drastically reduced. Such impressive scorecard from the head of a security institution gladdens the heart of not only Nigerians but security observers who believe that with more appreciative commendation from the central government, more novel ideas and strategies can evolve.
READ ALSO: From the belly of the Mediterranean Sea: Libyan returnee recounts experience
(Concluded)