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Jidex Okoro, Calabar
Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State, has called on the Federal Government to grant visa waivers to foreigners interested in visiting the new Calas Vegas City in Calabar.
Ayade, who made the call when the new comptroller of Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Cross River State Command, James Okey Ezegwu, visited, said once the city is completed, the state would be a total business and tourism hub of Nigeria.
He said Calas Vegas is the hope of Niger Delta and therefore it is high time the Federal Government considered given priority in terms of waivers to speedy up development in the South South. He said: “I want greater collaboration with the NIS, and therefore call for visa waiver for foreigners that would be visiting the new Calas Vegas city.”
Promising to collaborate with immigration service, he disclosed that there are 27 illegal routes in the state which the immigration officials need to police deliberately.
He further said, there is high level of arm movement and drugs through the 27 illegal routes by criminals and government opponents. He commended the NIS for the vast improvement in its service delivery in the state by making the passport office to become renowned, efficient and prompt.
To complement their effort, the governor promised to donate a gunboat, a land and monthly security subvention to facilitate its operations.
Earlier, Ezegwu said: “We have lot of pressure from influx from Cameroonian refugees into the state. We are profiling them.
“We are receiving very good response from foreigners in the state in the ongoing E-Registration exercise directed by the NIS comptroller general. This will help other security agencies in profiling immigrants in the state. There is need to secure the state.
“We have deployed good number of our men all over the state. This has helped to reduce the number of illegal immigrants and child trafficking drastically,” he said.
