The Comptroller-General, Nigeria Immigration Service, Mr Muhammad Babandede, has called for an audit of border structures to tackle cases of extortion.
At a two-day management retreat held in Lagos on Friday, he said that the current structure and operational conditions of Nigeria’s borders were “awful”.
“That is why a total border structures audit has become very critical. The Federal government has just granted us the approval to commence the e-border project.
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“I fear that government will soon be disappointed with us on this project if we do not immediately put in place massive reforms in our current crude border management practices.”
Babandede also decried the lack of modern and functional border security and management practices and documents.
“Our operations differ from one Control Post to the other, while extortion of travelers has become commonplace especially across land border formations.
“Some migrants now prefer to cross our Control Posts without travel documents so long as they hold their “settlement fee” for our border operatives.”
He explained that the security and economic implications of the lapses in border management were better imagined than explained.
“This must change and the time is now,” he said.
He further said that the process of acquiring passports still remained fraudulent, confusing and frustrating.
“Many of our personnel have continued to institutionalise sharp practices on our passport processing window.
“This is as many applicants now procure the document on the basis of how much they can afford to pay as bribes and not how much diligence they observe in following up the passport procedures we have stated on our website.
“I believe strongly that whatever we do here nothing much will change except the minister of interior assists the service in tackling the problem of booklet scarcity.”
The Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, urged the NIS management to play a leading role in ensuring that the borders of Nigeria were safe and secured.
This, he said was to guarantee buoyant economy and a transparent service delivery to make Nigeria a most preferred destination for investors and visitors without compromising National Security. (NAN)