NIS ENTERED AGREEMENTS THAT PUT NIGERIA IN “BONDAGE”, SENATE SAYS; SUSPENDS BUDGET CONSIDERATION
NIS ENTERED AGREEMENTS
THAT PUT NIGERIA IN “BONDAGE”, SENATE SAYS; SUSPENDS BUDGET CONSIDERATION
The Senate on Wednesday refused
to approve the budget of Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS, over an alleged
fraudulent agreement entered with some companies by the service.
The senators said a report showed
that the service had entered into series of agreement with companies in Nigeria
and abroad against due process.
The agreement over the years had
reportedly rendered the service incapable of remitting its revenue to the
Federal Government as it (agreement) reportedly gulps most of its revenue.
Reacting to this, Vice Chairman,
Senate Committee on Interior, Bayero Nafada, Gombe-PDP, said the committee’s
effort at investigating the deals had proved abortive.
He explained that some of the
companies are unknown while the known ones have refused to honour invitations
by the Senate committee.
He said: “Mr. President,
distinguished colleagues, I can confirm to you that Immigration has ‘endless
agreements’ with some companies processing international passports. I keep
wondering where agreements take place without a duration.”
Responding to a summon by the Senate
President to explain, a member of the Interior Committee, Solomon Olamilekan,
Lagos-APC, said that the agreements had put the nation in ‘bondage.’
He noted that the company contracted
by the service to process international passport for Nigeria is located in
London and had never honoured any invitation by the committee.
“Mr. President, Nigeria is in
bondage. How can the immigration go into agreements without a time limit and
you see what happens there? One of the contractors in London has never visited
Nigeria. Efforts to invite him to appear before our committee proved
abortive,” he added.
He alleged that ministry officials
refused to ‘open up’ during interrogation because of ”kickbacks they receive
after transactions.”
The lawmakers agreed, through a voice
vote, that the budget should be suspended while the interior committee
investigates the matter.
When contacted, the Public Relations
Officer, PRO, of the service, Sunday James said he is not aware of
any agreement entered into by the service.
“I don’t know anything about issue of
agreement entered. Procurement, agreement and other things that have to do with
products are not in my area of jurisdiction,” he said.
