FG Promises Aliens Better Life
The Minister of state for Internal Affairs, Alhaji Sama'ila Sambawa, has said the federal government is committed to making life easier for aliens resident in the country.
Sambawa made this known in Abuja recently while on an inspection tour of facilities for the Combined Expatriate Residence Permit and Alien Card (CERPAC) scheme handled by Contec-Global, a partnering foreign outfit.
" We cannot succeed in our desire to bringing investors to Nigeria except they are provided with all the services that would make their movement or life easier," he said.
Contec, a private international outfit had entered into an agreement with the ministry to employ high-tec equipment in the production of a single card which combines the functions of alien cards and residence permits
In his remarks, the Managing Director of the company, Mr Berry Benoy, said the company would deliver on their words, adding that the company was in good working relations with the immigration.
He, however, said that the company had the records of only 65,000 foreigners stored in its database system.
The agreement, which is 100 per cent financed by Contec, allows the foreign outfit to process, Issue and monitor alien cards and residence permit
To foreigners in the country with the assistance of he Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS).
Officers of the service are currently being trained by the company so as to enable them take over and manage the programme afterwards.
During the tour, the minister discovered that the company was still issuing separate cards as residence permit and alien cards instead of one as was the case in other countries.
Sambawa, who queried the reasons behind this, Directed the company to ensure that it produced Only one card, saying such would ease the movement of willing investors in the country.
What is the difference between these three cards. Obviously one is enough to serve whatever purpose these three would serve," he said.
While inspecting the central database system of the company, he noted that there was need for the company to extend its operations to other free trade zones like Calabar and Onne as it currently operated in eight states.
The Minister expressed satisfaction with the super visa issuing system and the super gate automated barrier system designed to meet the increasing demand of stringent border control.
While exchanging views with newsmen after the inspection, Sambawa expressed satisfaction with the facilities on ground and pledged the commitment of government to the programme.
"Am highly impressed and I hope that the project will be fully implemented in Nigeria before any other country in Africa.
"Also, on behalf of my ministry, I must say that am happy with the commitment and zeal the partners are showing and we on our part will do our best to ensure that the investment is worthwhile," he said.
Regarding the problem of compliance by aliens, Sambawa said that work was going on at the ministry level to ensure that all foreigners resident in the country complied.
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