Society Gists

Heritage Bank Plc, Nigeria’s most innovative financial services provider has been commended by the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) for its leadership position in seamless service delivery to customers and socio-economic growth.

The Comptroller General (CG) of NIS, Muhammad Babandede lauded Heritage Bank yesterday, during the commissioning of the SERVICOM unit built by the bank at NIS Ikoyi office in Lagos.

Babandede who noted that service in Nigeria Immigration was important for operating a competitive edge in its class, delivering efficiently and best of services commended Heritage Bank for taking the bold step to supporting delivery of excellence service for bankrolling the SERVICOM building in the NIS premises.

According to him, NIS is glad to be able to put the SERVICOM centre into use, as this is a key part that will further help the issue of physical one-to-one contact to be eliminated, services will be paid for online- i.e. cashless, delivery within timeline and people getting the services they pay for without bottlenecks or other delays associated with process and service delivery.

The MD/CEO of Heritage Bank, Ifie Sekibo at the commissioning of the unit said being a financial institution that prides itself primarily on service excellence, there was a need to make input into the quality of service received at the NIS office by customers and stakeholders.

Sekibo, who was represented by the Group Head, Corporate Services of the bank, Bukola Olaifa further explained, “In Heritage Bank, we pride ourselves in the field in such a way that we want to be innovative and; we cannot be like any other bank, the fact is that we came in at the time that we did and still function effectively like any other bank. We have been creative, innovative and we will continue along that threshold.

“We pride ourselves on being the service bank and we are not apologetic about it, we are a service company that is the way we see ourselves, a service company in the business of offering financial services. We have received several industry awards for service excellence already, with several other recognitions from some organisations. We want to be a bank to be known for helping government and corporate organisations, SMES, opening new banking opportunities in the area of retail. Above all, helping people to transfer the wealth that they have created and preserved to the next generation.”

He stated that the primary function of NIS is migration management for the improved quality of its citizens’ lives, hence to achieve the feats, departments like SERVICOM are established to provide efficient services to the people.

According to him, reforms in the NIS cannot be attained without demonstrable service delivery, as Nigerians have for too long been short-changed by the quality of public service delivery by which decisions are not made without undue outside influence, and files do not move without being pushed with inducements.

Sekibo stressed that Nigerians deserve better, hence this was what informed the decision to undertake the building of SERVICOM centre.

L-R: Assistant Comptroller General of Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Anyanseshi Dupe; Rtd. Asst. CG (HRH), Kayode Akolade; Deputy Comptroller of Immigration, Passport Control Officer, Munir Yari; Team Member, Assets & Equipment Maintenance & Mgt., Emeka Agina; Comptroller General (CG) of NIS, Muhammad Babandede; Group Head, Corporate Services of the bank, Bukola Olaifa; Assistant Comptroller General (ACG Zone A), M.A Alfa; Team Lead, Procurement Services Augustine Nkwocha and Comptroller of Immigration Service (CIS), Esekaigbe Angela, during the commissioning of NIS SERVICOM centre Ikoyi built by Heritage Bank Plc, in Lagos, yesterday