Immigration withdraws diplomatic passports of ex-govs, others
Immigration withdraws diplomatic
passports of ex-govs, others
The Comptroller General (CG) of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS)
Martin Abeshi has ordered former Governors, ministers and holders of such executive political offices who were issued diplomatic passports to return them with immediate effect.
This latest was given yesterday in a statement signed by the CG himself that failure to comply to this directive would
amount to a gross violation of the law as
contained in the NIS 2015 Act as amended.
Recall that the Federal Government had
ordered the withdrawal of all diplomatic and official passports from people,
especially, who have no good reasons to use such privileged travel documents.
The statement reads in part “Further to the directive on the withdrawal of diplomatic and official passports held by
unauthorized persons, the Nigeria Immigration Service hereby directs all
affected persons to comply forthwith”.
These persons include according to the statement, “among others, former State Governors, Senators, Members of House of Representatives, Member of State
Houses of Assemblies, Ministers, Commissioners, Special Advisers/Special
Assistants, Chairmen and Deputy Chairmen of Local Government Area
Councils. “Others are all Retired Heads of
Parastatals and Retired Public Servants.”
The statement went on to urge this category of people to return the said
documents to the headquarters of the
NIS in Sauka, Abuja and not use it again for whatever purpose.
Because these “passports which were previously held by them have been
revoked and should return them with immediate effect. “Failure to comply
with this directive will amount to an offence under the Immigration Act 2015.
Such unauthorized possession will be
impounded at our control posts on arrival or departure,” Abeshi said.
Newsweb Express
