housands die daily
and are forgotten over time. It is most unlikely that such will be the case with
Lady Comfort Uzoamaka Nwizu whose mortal remains will be laid to rest today. She
lived well and left indelible prints on the sands of time.
To start with, she broke a longstanding glass ceiling in the
Immigration service and made history as the first female Comptroller General of
Immigration (CGI) in Nigeria. She mounted the saddle in the organization amidst
intense controversy. The job was considered too heavy a load for a woman but the
lady’s past successes in other equally challenging positions were eloquent
testimonies to her ability to assume the top position and so she got it.
It is on record that she acquitted herself creditably. She
rendered quality service and left tangible proofs of that.
The amazon inherited an Immigration service whose passport
issuance arm was riddled with corruption and firmly in the vice-like grip of
touts. It was almost impossible to acquire a Nigerian passport without going
through a tout and spending considerably more than the stipulated amount. She
changed all that. Nwizu succeeded in cleaning a veritable Augean stable. So
great was her passion to stop the ignoble practise that she put on a disguise
and went underground and thereby was able to smash the passport syndicate. Her
efforts made it possible for passports to be obtained in 24 hours without any
recourse to touts.
Late Nwizu also made considerable efforts in the area of
checking human trafficking in and out of Nigeria. Her time as the CGI saw the
setting up of properly equipped anti-human trafficking squads in about eight
formations within the service. The squads were made to work in liaison with
national and international organizations to ensure a reduction in the booming
illegal trade in humans. She was also among the few top-ranking Nigerians who
cared about the plight of Nigerian illegal immigrants. She told representatives
of foreign missions to their faces that it was immoral to strip Nigerians of
their hard earned cash and properties before their deportation.
She introduced innovations aimed at streamlining the issuance
of Resident Permits in Nigeria with the introduction of the computerized
Combined Residence Permit and Alien Card, a fraud-proof green card-like permit
for resident expatriates. The late CGI also fought hard against such
illegalities as allowing foreigners arrive our shores without visas on the
orders of influential Nigerians. She also was unrelenting in her fight to see
that laid down rules are adhered to in matters relating to expatriate quotas.
Her years at the head of the Immigration service witnessed
improvements in working conditions. She reportedly effected promotions for
deserving men and officers of the service who had been denied their dues for
many years. She saw to the completion and renovation of numerous accommodation
and medical facilities belonging to the service. She particularly ensured the
welfare of her men at the borders by establishing six hospitals for their use.
She graciously allowed the nearby communities to also enjoy the facilities.
Perhaps, to add a motherly touch to it all, she commenced a
project of building schools close to offices so that her colleagues will work
with a settled mind having easy access to their children and knowing they are
safe.
The training of Immigration personnel was another area she
made a mark in. Her time at the head witnessed a boom in training of personnel
both locally and abroad. She was repeatedly quoted as saying she wanted a modern
Immigration service that could compete with the best in the world, hence her
belief in exposing the men to courses in several parts of the world.
She was not only a thoroughbred Immigration boss, Nwizu was
also loving and kind and showed that in her dealings with fellow humans. She,
with personal funds, set up a charitable organization — the Jireh Foundation, to
help the less privileged in the society.
The late Nwizu was born on September 21, 1949 in Ogbunike,
Oyi local council of Anambra state. She attended MS Primary School, Umudioka
before proceeding to the Anglican Girls’ Secondary School, Enugu. Her
undergraduate and graduate studies were undertaken at the University of Hawaii,
Honolulu, United States of America (USA); University of Vermont, Burlington,
also in the USA and the University of Ibadan, Nigeria.
She joined the Nigeria Immigration Service on August 2, 1974
as an Assistant Immigration Officer. She had at various times served as head of
the Visa Entry Permit department, Immigrations Attach�, Nigerian Deputy High
Commision at Liverpool, United Kingdom, Zonal Co-ordinator of Zone ‘F’ of the
NIS and Special Assistant, Immigration Matters to the Minister of Internal
Affairs.
Late Comfort Uzoamaka Nwizu was named the Comptroller-General
of the NIS on January 14, 2000. In recognition of her selfless service to
Nigeria, she received the prestigious national award of Order of Officer of the
Federal Republic (OFR) on December 13, 2002.
As she is buried with full honours today, we join millions of
other Nigerians to console her family members and if it is any comfort, remind
them that their dear departed will live forever in her meritorious service to
her fatherland, Nigeria.
Adieu, the unforgettable Lady Comfort Uzoamaka Nwizu.
