Ekpedeme King, Abuja: It is becoming obvious that the Nigeria Immigration service (NIS) will exceed its revenue projection for the year 2016.
This is according to the Comptroller General of Immigration, Muhammad Babandede who briefed the House of Representatives Committee on Interior on the activities of his Agency at the NIS Headquarters, Abuja on Wednesday 2nd November 2016.
Babadede said, “the revenue projected for the year 2016 from passports, visas, and other administrative fees was put at N26,342,506,305.17 and $29,852,391.09.”
However, by the end of September 2016, the Service has collected N26,342,506,305.17 and $28,964,288.17 a clear indication that the Service will exceed its target in the next three months.
“This was made possible due to his commitment to effecting a change in the way things are done in the Public Service” Babandede added.
The CGI advocated the introduction of a new regime in the fees charged for passports and other facilities the NIS issues in order to increase the revenue accumulating to Government the same way it is done in the United Kingdom.
In this regards, the passport applicants who wish to process and collect their passports same day could be made to pay higher fees and their applications for the passport put on the fast track. However, the process must pass through all security checks that have been put in place.
Babandede added that “this will not only increase revenue but reduce corruption as it is the same excuse used by a few mischievous officers to extort applicants.”
The CGI said that “the proposal is also contained in the four-year strategic plan which was arrived at during the recent Management Retreat in Kano.”
Speaking earlier, the Chairman of the House Committee on Interior, Hon. Jagaba Adams Jagaba told the CGI that the Committee was at the NIS Headquarters as part of its oversight function.
While admonishing the CGI to be just and fair to all officers, he also encouraged him to ensure that the NIS assumes its rightful place in the security matrix of the Country under his tenure.
