The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has threatened to publish the
names of former Ministers, Governors and members of the National and
State Assemblies who are illegally in possession of official and
diplomatic passports soon.
The Comptroller-General of the NIS, Martin Abeshi issued the threat
while unfolding his programme for the agency in Abuja, yesterday.
Recall that President Muhammadu Buhari had on September 7, 2015,
directed the NIS to retrieve the documents from all illegal holders,
mostly former top public office holders, but the NIS Comptroller-General
said most of them were yet to comply with the directive.
Abeshi said: “I am advising that those who have not returned these
facilities [diplomatic and official passports] should bring them because
very soon, I will publish the names of those who collected official and
diplomatic passports.
“I am not going to do it now; I want to respect them because they
were once statesmen in this country, but I am advising that they should
bring those passports in their possession to the Immigration office
now,” he said.
Former public officials that were issued diplomatic passports include
commissioners, special advisers/special assistants, chairmen/deputy
chairmen of local government areas, all retired heads of parastatals and
some retired public servants.
The NIS boss noted that the passports could also be submitted to
Comptrollers of the State commands all over the country who have been
mandated to collect the documents from the illegal holders.
He however, revealed that over 200 passports have been retrieved since this directive was given.
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