From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has disclosed that 64 of its officers were affected by the 2022 flooding in Bayelsa State.
The Comptroller, Bayelsa Command, Mr Sunday James, who took reporters to the Command headquarters at Bayelsa Palm Road sacked by the flood, said as a security outfit on essential duty, none of its officers affected who are mainly Bayelsans were permitted to be absent from work.
He disclosed that a few days before the flood came in full force, he had directed the rescue of documents and assets of the NIS and authorised its relocation to a temporary office located at Okaka Estate.
“Flood or no flood people must work. During the flood and post-flood, no single officer of the NIS Bayelsa Command is permitted to leave his workplace. We are doing an essential duty, we are a security outfit and we have assignments to render to the public. Not staying at your duty post is a dismissible case. No single officer is permitted to leave his duty post unless with permission. You can see I am here, all throughout the flood, I have been coming to the office. Because of exigencies, we evacuated before the flood came. I had the instinct that once the flood came, we won’t be able to rescue anything. Three days before the flood came proper; we rescued essential assets of the command. No single officer handling any document has any reason to say any document is missing. Documents and assets are intact. The only thing you can see here is the infrastructure. We have moved to a temporary place. Our operation and administration services are on” he said.
According to him, based on a report presented by the Bayelsa State Command, the NIS headquarters would soon commence massive infrastructural uplift for the headquarters of the Bayelsa Command which is located in a flood-prone area.
In an impromptu visit to the Passport Office, Road Safety road, James warned desk officers against the undue delay of Nigerians, declaring that he won’t tolerate people being delayed without any cogent reason.
Speaking in an interview at the temporary office, he said the Comptroller-General of NIS, Isah Jere Idris has directed the amphibious training of officers from the Bayelsa State Command at Ahoada on swimming skills and rescue operations tactics.
Meanwhile, the Command has questioned a French national at the Bayelsa Toll Gate over her activities in Bayelsa State.
NIS had raised eyebrows when the French journalist claimed that she was in the entourage of the United Nations Resident and Humanitarian coordinator who has since departed Bayelsa State over the weekend.
Sources at the NIS command said the French journalist and two Nigerians with her provided details of activities in Bayelsa State.
One of the Nigerians, Mr Godson Jim- Dorgu of the MacArthur Foundation in an interview confirmed the encounter with the NIS and commended its Comptroller Sunday James for professional handling of the matter.