November 19, (THEWILL) – A Group known as the True Nigerians for Transparency and Good Governance (TNTGG), has called on the Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, to take a cursory look at the call for expatriates quota monthly returns to the Ministry and the recent approval for the deployment of personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), to secure the Nigerian borders around the Nigeria-Niger Republic border through Katsina State.
According to the group, despite the supervisory role of the Ministry of Interior, the recent decisions are considered misplaced, hijack of the functions of the agencies under the ministry and may lead to clash and misappropriation of priorities, ineffectiveness and abuse of power.
They also described the recent decisions as an overlap of agencies statutory duties, relegating NIS and NCS to undue fight for supremacy with NSCDC.
The National Coordinator of the group, Comrade Babajide Junaid, noted that instead of the Ministry of Interior to strengthen the functions of the agencies under its control such as the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) being the lead agency on border security and migration management and the Nigerian Custom Service (NCS) to function effectively in the area border control and security.
According to the group, “Delving into expatriates Quota returns Collation is NIS operational duty not the Ministry and securing Nigerian borders is not NSCDC purview, the Ministry move is tantamount to hijacking functions and promoting clashes of duties.”
The TNTGG urged the Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, to take a review of recent policies and halt the clear direction that will facilitate inter-agency clashes and misappropriation of funds,” this is same way with the ICPC and EFCC,FRSC and Police cum VIOs, doing the same function. As well asking the Traffic Warding section of the Police to be at dagger drawn with the FRSC. In the Act establishing the them, it clearly states whose function it is on expatriate quota collation and other duties.
“Instead, enabling laws backing the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) to enforce such rule should be strengthened and companies must be made to submit their reports as at when due to the NIS within one week of an expatriate employee arrival in Nigeria, it is unethical for supervisory ministry to go visiting companies on investigation what is the role of NIS or should there be clash between ministry officials and state commands
“The Ministry of Interior should close the website for collation, it is duplicating the process and companies will no longer see the value in being responsible to a specific regulatory agency.
“The Ministry officials should mind their statutory duties and not delve into agencies duty.”
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