The Comptroller-General (CG) of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) Martin Abeshi has denounced claims by former Minister of Interior Abba Moro that the service lacks the capacity to produce international passport booklets and the Combined
Expatriate Residence Permit and Aliens Card.

Abeshi said the service has the capacity to produce the two security documents if adequately funded.

Moro had told a public hearing by the House Committee on Interior last Wednesday that the agreements the immigration service had with different
private companies were not judiciously implemented.

But reacting to this at the weekend in a chat with newsmen, Abeshi said the NIS has well trained personnel who could produce the international passport booklets and the CERPAC cards.

According to him: “Moro is entitled to his opinions. If he says we don’t have capacity to produce international passport, what did he do about that in the period he stayed as Minister of Interior?

“I don’t believe we don’t have the capacity to produce passports. We have it with the calibre of staff by their training and we have more than enough if available funds are given to us.”

Abeshi stated that the service plans to hold its CG annual conference and stakeholder’s interactive forum on April 6-8 in Lafia, Nasarawa State.

He explained that the forum would assess the performance of the NIS so far against global best practices as well as evaluate papers presented, opinions and positions reached to fairly administer immigration laws, practices and other related instruments.