… Meets Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Plateau, Yobe Comptrollers, Flags off ‘Operation Secured Border’
By Our Correspondent
The immediate past Comptroller of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) in Rivers State, ACG Sunday James, has assumed duty as the zonal coordinator in the North East and Plateau with headquarters in Bauchi State.
Assistant Comptroller General Sunday James, on assumption of office, met with comptrollers of the catchment states of Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Plateau and Yobe states, signaling a new dawn in the operations of the operatives of the Nigeria Immigration Service in the North East and Plateau.
At the meeting, Assistant Comptroller General Sunday James unveiled a blueprint tagged ‘Re-Positioning for Impact: Nigeria Immigration Service, Zone C’ and flagged off ‘Operation Tsaron Iyaka,’ meaning ‘Operation Secured Border.’
Sunday James told the officers and men of the Zone C command that with the blessing of the Comptroller General of Immigration Service, Caroline Wuraola Adepoju, and the Minister of Interior, Hon Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, the NIS and its operatives are poised and ready to take the bull by the horn in a renewed vigor and moral boost given by the physical convergence.
He also expressed confidence, especially given presence of the zonal coordinator, who showed exemplary leadership by leaving Bauchi to host the strategic meeting with all the comptrollers in Gombe, Gombe State.
According to ACG James Sunday, the choice of Gombe State as the venue for the meeting and the theme of the meeting and operation, is timely and strategic, “As the zonal coordinator, I am posted to work and not to sit in the office, my officers and field commanders must have a feel of leadership concern and presence to boost their morals.”
“I have six (6) state commands under my zone, including the zonal office itself, with a total of three thousand and eighty-one officers and men (3,081) under my watch. I cannot afford to leave them without direction, guide and leadership. Our strength is our number, skill and expertise as God enable us in this national assignment, we cannot afford to disappoint the nation.
“And the mandate of the service in ensuring high level professional practice, respect for the rule of law and protection of national security with respect to our assignment, I therefore welcome all the comptrollers under Zone C Headquarters of Nigeria Immigration Service to this one of a kind strategic at this level of the service hierarchy meeting, borne out of commitment, determination and desire to succeed and raise the service standard, commitment to the nation and the good people of the North East, where I am holding forth as zonal coordinator. The operatives are able, ready and willing with the assurances of the state comptrollers.”
“This Strategic Zonal Meeting will definitely go down in the annals of history of the service (NIS) and the security architecture of Nigeria to enhance our commitment to keep the North East borders safe and the Plateau, at this time in the history of the country, when bandits, insurgents and terrorists are attempting to make a mockery of the security system and lives of gallant officers were lost to the cold arm of avoidable deaths, loss of precious lives, properties and livelihood of our citizens, who because they remain resolute not to take the law into their hands by resorting to self-help, these criminal elements are feasting and having field days by terrorizing, kidnapping and taking ransoms, yet sometimes not sparing their victims.
“This is supposed to challenge every field commander saddled with the responsibility to protect lives, properties and well-being of our people to change strategies and Modus operandi, to counter and head on drive back the evil forces tormenting our people and threatening good governance and service delivery by government.”
“This remains my motivation force to make a difference by justifying my posting and office. Today’s meeting may not resolve all the perceived and existing security issues relating to the NIS mandate of ‘Securing our National Borders’ and ‘Managing Migration,’ but it will go a long way in addressing partly the issues from the North East and Plateau bothering on border security and migration management, which is my purview in the North East as zonal coordinator.
“The states under my watch after this crucial meeting will not by the help of God and our sincere commitment remain the same frontally with respect to the Nigeria Immigration Service operation both as impetus to sustaining the service nationally under the Comptroller General Caroline Wuraola Adepoju, who is presently saddled with the leadership of the service.
“Our report from this meeting will not go unnoticed and dumped, because of the best and working ideas that will emanate from it, our resolve is to keep the borders of the North East safe and protected, we are poised more than ever before to work in synergy with other sister security and response agencies to bring this our aspiration and commitment to pass for the good of our people and the nation at large.”
On the modus of the ‘Operation Tsaron Iyaka,’ meaning ‘Operation Secured Border,’ he assured that the operation will change the narrative and operation of the service in the North East and Plateau due to the peculiarity of the geo-political zone.
According to him, “And the importance to the internal security of the country as it shares common border with Niger, Chad and Cameroon Republics with vast desert lands, mountainous, forest and long span Sambisa wild life park, we are leaving with a robust blue print of a renewed strategic operation with respect to the Nigeria Immigration Service mandate of control of entry and exit of persons into and out of the country, verification of travel documents at entry and exit points, refusal of entry and departure when and where necessary in line with the extant rules and regulation as stated in the Immigration Act 2015 and Regulation 2017 and other protocols signed by the country and articles on Immigration services.
“Today we have the privilege of paying courtesy call on the chairman of the Northern Governors Forum and executive governor of Gombe State Alhaji Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya ably represented by the deputy governor of Gombe State, His Excellency Dr Manassah Daniel Jatau, to share with him the reason for our convergence in the state for such historic and strategic meeting of the service.”
