Osun State governor, Mr Gboyega Oyetola, on Thursday implored the migrants residing in the state to cooperate with the officials of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) for proper documentation and data capturing.
He charged them to register with the NIS to enable the state to guarantee their security and welfare and to afford them the opportunity to carry out their legitimate businesses.
Oyetola made the appeal in Osogbo during the launch of electronic registration of migrants by the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Osun State command.
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Represented by Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Prince Wole Oyebamiji, the governor said “the e-Registration exercise is a global standard exercise. It is designed for all migrants who are 18 years and above to register with the Nigeria Immigration Service. This exercise will serve as a database of all foreigners.
“Consequently, I enjoin all migrants resident in Osun to register with the Nigeria Immigration Service to enable the State to guarantee their security and welfare and to afford them the opportunity to carry out their legitimate businesses.
“No nation or state is self-sustaining. Nigerians and citizens of Osun, like other world nationals, are all over the globe contributing their quota to the development of their nations of residence. Osun is the reigning most peaceful state in Nigeria. It is open to migrants and other non-indigenes who are ready to live in the state in peace and contribute to the socio-economic and overall development of Osun.”
“As a creation of the law, we expect all migrants to be law-abiding and to know that the instruments of the law shall be invoked in the event of any infraction as the state would, even to its own citizens”, Oyetola remarked.
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While commending the leadership of the NIS for coming up with the e-registration initiative and for applying best practices in ensuring its implementation, the governor said: “I would also like to appeal to the good people of Osun to continue to demonstrate the Omoluabi ethos of hospitality, good neighbourliness, and peace that the state is known for in their relationship with the migrants and other residents.
Earlier in his welcome address, the state Comptroller of Immigration, Mallam Isa Uba Panshekara, said e-registration is an exercise intended to capture biometrics of all non-Nigerians in the country who have attained the age of 18 years and above and who have stayed or are intending to stay in Nigeria for a period exceeding 90 days.
He explained that the equipment for e-registration of migrants has duly been installed while the command had embarked on massive sensitisation of the public in the past few weeks through meetings with stakeholders including the traditional rulers.
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