There have been reports that in the maritime sector, there are thousands of job opportunities for Nigerians, if they had been given the required training to take over from foreigners currently holding those positions. A situation in which foreign nationals are being gainfully employed on Nigerian vessels to the detriment of the unemployed but competent nationals should be given necessary and urgent attention by the government. Asians have also been reported to be working as sales attendants in cities like Lagos, Kano and elsewhere. Nigerians working in those outlets are only being used to do jobs that require physical energy. Most importantly, the growing foreign influence on internal security in Nigeria cannot be overlooked, especially with the ongoing reports that several mercenaries from the Chad Basin are part of the growing network carrying out attacks in Nigeria's North-Eastern corner. It is against this background that the Minister of Interior, Comrade Abba Moro, initiated the implementation of e-business for government as he reinvents the ministry as a responsive entity. The Federal Ministry of Interior has entered into a Public Private Partnership (PPP) with Anchor Dataware Solutions (ADS), an experienced IT outfit that has provided a wide range of information technology solutions to governments and the private sectors with reliability, responsibility and flexibility since 2002. More than ever before, the Federal Government needs to curtail the abuse of expatriate quota. However, it is in the managing and monitoring of expatriates' activities that more work needs to be done. With the increasing activities of insurgents in Nigeria and the proliferation of small arms along the West African sub-region, it has become pertinent for the government to ensure that all foreigners who arrive in Nigeria behave and act within the ambit of the country's laws. ADS, as a strategic partner, will use its expertise to provide for the integration and automation of the operations of the Department of Citizenship and Business, as it streamlines its Naturalisation/Expatriate Quota Management System. The system allows data to flow between the public, service professionals and public service agencies; data from multiple regions can be quickly centralised and converted into useful information. Among the numerous benefits of this scheme is the effective work flow and streamlined efficient document management system that will enable companies to apply on-line, as well as access non-security information of naturalisation and expatriate quota administration guidelines which is cumbersome to come by. This is a unique opportunity to cut the red tape that comes with such processes. When the tapes disappear, this will no doubt institute a legacy of effective and functional business process and thereby boosts the Nigerian global image with minimum realisation time of companies' applications and other sundry requests. Ensuring active utilisation of quota grants and eliminates quota racketing by non-functional companies, through active and effective 'on-line' monitoring by the immigration department, will no doubt lead to a drastic cut in the reduction of unemployment, one of the many ills bedeviling the country. If the latter is adequately taking care of, this will pave the way for the responsible enforcement of Nigerianisation of expatriate positions over a defined period by their Nigerian understudies and, by this, transfer of knowledge for sustained self-development will be guaranteed. Government policies need to be very dynamic; they should be structured in such a way that they will enable government to accurately manage, track and forecast future expenditures and funding. This is not only to ensure that current are projects carried out, but also to maximise the performances and be able to monitor and evaluate their trajectories. The vision that drives Naturalisation/Expatriate Quota Management System has benefited from strategic thinking and a vibrant infusion of ideas. The individual behind it, Joel Adi, is bringing over 18 years experience in Project Management in some 500 companies in the United States of America (USA), including Microsoft, Lockheed Martin, ITech Training, TherapyEdge, Transamerica and Integrian. It is this vast experience that he is bringing on board. More than ever, before it is imperative for the scheme to come on stream as the Nigerian Tribune noted in its editorial of 16 January, 2012, 'it is not unknown to the government that millions of idle hands have been providing the pool from which anarchists have been drawing to cause social upheavals. This is why the government should view the present situation with all seriousness, because it has been having a very harmful effect on the creation of job opportunities. The argument that foreign-owned enterprises are paying the piper and, therefore, have the right to bring in whoever they choose to serve in whatever capacity is uninformed and disgusting. It clearly shows that the immigration service is an integral part of the problem it exists to solve. Foreign nationals whose modes of entry and sojourn in this country constitute a violation of Nigeria's Immigration Act should be made to face the rigours of the law and, thereafter, sent packing'.Datti, a former commissioner, wrote in from Jos, Plateau State.
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