The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Ondo State Council, has appealed to the Federal Government to adequately fund the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) to boost its performance.
The union said that the funding would enable the agency to fully perform its primary responsibilities of providing internal security as well as to overcome challenges of issuing passports to citizens.
The NUJ Chairman, Mr Adetona Aderoboye, made the appeal when he led members of the union executive council on a courtesy visit to the state Conptroller of NIS, Ibong Osato Aideyan, at her office on Wednesday in Akure.
“In view of the current security challenges facing the nation, it has become expedient for the federal government to give adequate backing to the agency.
“It is for it to be able to properly man the country’s borders against illegal immigrants, especially influx of bandits from neighbouring countries.
“NIS also needs to ensure smooth issuance of passports to citizens as recent difficulties faced in the exercise need to be urgently addressed,” he said.
Aderoboye, who said the visit was to rejuvenate the relationship between the media industry in the state and the NIS, assured the state Conptroller of adequate publicity from NUJ members in the state.
Responding, the NIS Conptroller, who expressed delight at the NUJ leadership’s visit, said that the agency and the Ministry of Interior were working round the clock to make issuance of passport stress-free for citizens.
Aideyan said that the Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, had promised that the identified challenges would soon be resolved to ensure that passport production was not disrupted and scarcity eliminated.
While describing the media as very important partner in the discharge of the agency’s assignments, she promised to assist media professionals in the state in whatever ways within her power to further cement NIS/NUJ robust relationship.(NAN)