The acting Comptroller General, CG, of the Nigeria Immigration Sevice, Isah Jere Idris, has promised that the two Control Posts of Oron and Ibaka would soon be included in the Service’s e-Border project.
The acting Immigration Chief made the promise Friday, 1 April, when he paid a working visit to the Service’s Blue Border Formations in Oron and Ibaka areas of Akwa Ibom State.
TheFact Nigeria reports that the electronic border monitoring, which commenced fully last year, was introduced to enable officials to see real time online situations of the country’s borders.
Jere said that upon inclusion in the e-Border Project, the two locations would be connected to the Command and Control Centre at the Service Headquarters real time and online, for effective surveillance and monitoring of all movements and activities in the areas.
The acting CG, during the visit, made a case for some deliberate actions to improve the current security architecture across the nation’s Blue Borders.
According to him, the deployment of ICT solutions in border security had become inevitable for the country. He noted that the rising volume of migratory activities along the nation’s international waterways, which measure over 853 kilometres, requires that a closer attention is devoted to the sector for improved surveillance.
He disclosed that the waterways of Oron and Ibaka areas for instance, are accessible to countries such as Mali, Benin, Togo, Ghana and Cameroun among others, and as a result, concerted efforts should be made to equip all the agencies along that corridor for good security cover.
The acting CG paid courtesy visits to the traditional institutions in the border communities where he solicited for their cooperation especially in information sharing to ensure effective border security.
At the palace of the paramount ruler of the Oron nation, His Royal Majesty Odiong Edet Akan, Jere stated that no security/military agency can achieve enduring peace and order anywhere in the country without the partnership of the traditional rulers and members of the local communities.
Recalling that the traditional rulers had played great roles in the nation’s security arrangement during the pre and post-colonial eras, Jere called for a re-visit of the roles of traditional rulers in the nation’s security architecture.
Earlier, the paramount ruler of the Oron nation, stated that members of his communities have been and will continue to be very supportive to the Immigration Service and advocated for sustenance of the existing relationship.
The acting CG later proceeded to Ibaka Control Post where he inspected the operational areas and a Jetty under construction. He harped that when completed the Jetty will impact positively on operational activities at the Control, and urged the personnel to continue to demonstrate strong commitment to duty.
He thereafter paid a courtesy visit to the palace of the paramount rule of Mbo local government area, His Royal Majesty Ogwong Okon Asukwo Abang. The royal father assured of the support of his subjects to the Immigration Service and called on government to invest more on maritime security.
