By Gabriel Ameh
Retired officers of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) have called on the Federal Government to prioritise the welfare of serving and retired personnel as part of efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s border-security system.
The call was made at the maiden Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Nigeria Association of Retired Immigration Officers (NARIO) in Abuja.
The retirees said addressing welfare and other operational challenges within the NIS would contribute significantly to improving the country’s border-security architecture, rather than relying solely on the creation of additional agencies.
Speaking at the event, the Comptroller General of the NIS, Kemi Nanna-Nandap, said the expertise of retired immigration officers should be harnessed to improve the efficiency and service delivery of the Service.
Nanna-Nandap, who was represented by the Assistant Comptroller General, Jika Ogbeche, announced plans to establish a Resource Centre for retired officers.
According to her, the centre would provide a platform for retirees to share their experience and professional knowledge with serving immigration personnel.
She said the initiative was designed to tap into the wealth of experience accumulated by retired officers and use it to strengthen the capacity of the NIS.
The Comptroller General also disclosed that she had directed the Finance and Administration Department of the Service to begin the process of clearing outstanding health benefits, repatriation expenses and other allowances owed to retired officers.
She assured the retirees that the NIS remained committed to improving their welfare while continuing to benefit from their expertise.
The association, which was registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) on October 20, 2022, used the maiden AGM to formally bring its activities to wider national and international attention.
The meeting was held under the theme: “Strengthening Institutional Capacity and Autonomy Amidst Operational Challenges: Repositioning the Nigeria Immigration Service for Border Security, Revenue Generation, Investment Promotion and Sustainable National Development.”
