Interior Ministry makes N1.195billion on Expatriate quotas in 10 months

*NASS says foreign prisoners work as construction workers in Nigeria

By Andrew Oota

The Ministry of Interior has trilled the Senate by surpassing its revenue target of N600million through issuance of expatriate quotas in the 2023 financial year as it hits N1.195billion between January and October ,2023.

However, the National Assembly at its joint committee of the Senate and House of Representatives on Interior expressed concerns over the ministry’s issuance of the expatriate quotas,stressing it was as avenue for expatriates to steal jobs from Nigerians.

The issuance of the expatriate quotas by the Interior Ministry to deserving foreign companies , became a matter of concern to lawmakers during budget defence session by the Minister, Hon Olubunmi Tunji – Ojo before the joint Committee on Interior on Wednesday.

In his presentation the Minister told the joint committee that his ministry delivered beyound it’s target in the 2022 and outgoing 2023 fiscal years

,stressing that in 2023 , while N600million was targeted as revenue to be generated from issuance of expatriate quotas to deserving foreign firms in the country , N1.195billion , has as at October 31, 2023 , generated from it .

” Aside the projected revenue from expatriate quotas that had been surpassed by about N600m extra , the N380million projected revenue from marriage , has also been surpassed by over N500million with N892.774million realised as at October 31, 2023 “, he said .

But the Chairman of the joint committee , Senator Adams Oshiomhole ( APC Edo North ) , told the Minister that while it is heartwarming that the Ministry surpassed its revenue targets on issuance of expatriates quotas but the policy is giving room for expatriates to steal jobs meant for Nigerians in Nigeria .

” Your Ministry needs to regulate issuance of the quotas very well as i have on good authority that prisoners from foreign land are working in Nigeria as construction workers .

” This is even different from the age long fraud the oil companies have been carrying out in the country through the policy of expatriate quotas by making our own qualified engineers to work under foreign technicians .

“Many non Nigerians are in the country, some of them live inside containers. I even believe and dare say it that there are foreign prisoners who are working in Nigeria. They were shipped to our country to serve their prison terms.

“They were being paid according to their country’s minimum wage by the construction industry that brought them. I don’t want to mention the company’s name but if I am provoked, I will mention them.

“Honourable Minister, this is a serious issue, prisoners are not expected to work in their countries if the product or whatever they engage in is meant to be exported”, he said .

But the Minister in his response , assured the committee members that the Ministry had already come up with project for job protection for Nigerians.

The project according to him , is Expatriate Employee Network ( EEN) primarily aimed to safeguard jobs meant for Nigerians from been stolen by expatriates and also prevent expatriate workers from evading tax payment in Nigeria.