By Okechukwu Onuegbu
The Comptroller, Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS, Anambra State command, Mrs Ngozi Odikpo, has stressed the need for timely renewal of passports and other documents obtainable from their office.
Odikpo, who disclosed this in Awka, while receiving the new executive members of NUJ Anambra State Council in her office, explained that it would enable users not to lose travelling and other opportunities.
She also sought collaboration with the media to improve on their services across the 21 Local government areas of the state.
"We are aware that a collaboration with the media is essential in what we do. We know that with this partnership people will be cleared in the area they are not sure of. We will do everything humanly possible to deliver on our mandate. We are also ready to attend to all our customers during our customers service week which starts from Monday February 14 to Friday 17 (especially on 16 and 17).
"Aside issuiance of international passports, we provide ECOWAS travelling certificate, residence cards and others. All information you need about us, our facilities and services are on our website, immigration.gov.ng. NIS has been adjuged as an institution with the most user friendly website. People should always visit the website to be well informed," she noted.
She said there were some changes in passport issuiance processes in their office, adding that in two weeks time, their system would be configured to migrate to the appointment based system in Anambra.
"After you complete the online passport processing, you will generate an appointment date in which you will attended to. It is a system configured. It does not depend on any officer. And anything outside that date you will not be attended to unless approved from our head office," she submitted.
Earlier, the Chairman, NUJ, Anambra State Council, Dr Odogwu Emeka Odogwu, called on the Anambra State government to liaise with the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) to connect the State command's of Nigeria Immigration Services to national grid, as not doing so had impacted negatively on their services.
Odogwu also enjoined the command to expedite action towards improving in their international passports processing services, including the need to investigate and possibly put an end to alleged corrupt practices in the system, even as he assured that journalists in the state would never relent in reporting their activities professionally.