UYO
The coordinator of the Office of the First Lady, Akwa Ibom State has reaffirmed the commitment of her office to strengthening its partnership and collaboration with the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), Akwa Ibom State Command, to enhance service delivery and promote public sensitisation.
Lady Helen Eno Obareki gave the assurance, Wednesday, at Government House, Uyo, while receiving the Comptroller of Immigration, Akwa Ibom State Command, CIS Patrick Uyedoh, alongside his management team, during a courtesy visit.
While welcoming the comptroller, Lady Obareki recalled the longstanding cordial relationship between the Office of the First Lady of Akwa Ibom State and the Nigerian Immigration Service, describing it as one built on mutual respect and consistent collaboration.
“I would have expected you here earlier because we have always enjoyed a robust relationship with the Nigerian Immigration Service in Akwa Ibom. The previous comptrollers were female and actively involved in our programmes, including our monthly prayer meetings, and we look forward to sustaining that relationship,” she said.
She commended him for his positive remarks about Akwa Ibom and the State governor, Pastor Umo Eno, PhD, expressing confidence that his tenure would further strengthen the existing relationship between the Service and the State Government.
Responding to requests presented by the comptroller, Lady Obareki assured of her willingness to facilitate communication with the Governor’s Office, noting that while the Office of the First Lady plays a complementary role to the State Government, it remains committed to supporting initiatives that promote effective governance and improve public service.
Lady Obareki further encouraged the Nigerian Immigration Service to continue improving its service delivery by addressing delays and challenges encountered by members of the public in obtaining international passports and other travel documents.
She reiterated the readiness of the Office of the First Lady to partner the Immigration Service in public enlightenment campaigns, awareness programmes and other initiatives that promote safe migration and national development, as well as thanked the comptroller and his delegation for the visit and the gift presented to her, expressing optimism that the partnership between the Office of the First Lady and the Nigerian Immigration Service would continue to flourish for the benefit of the people of Akwa Ibom.
The Comptroller, Nigerian Immigration Service, Akwa Ibom State Command, CIS Patrick Oyedoh, while highlighting the strategic security responsibilities of the Command, which operates six control posts due to the state’s coastal location, had called for increased logistical support to strengthen border security and combat irregular migration across the state’s extensive coastal frontiers.
CIS Oyedoh, who assumed duty as the 24th Comptroller of the Command on April 29, 2026, disclosed that 43 irregular migrants had been repatriated since his assumption of duties, warning that the Command would not provide a safe haven for illegal migrants.
He solicited the support of the state government for logistics, utility vehicles and gunboats to enhance surveillance and enforcement operations, particularly along Akwa Ibom waterways and coastal borders.
The comptroller reaffirmed the commitment of the Service to its statutory mandate of protecting lives and property, securing the nation’s borders and building a formidable frontier against threats to national security.
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