THE Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Abia State Command, has issued 11,399 electronic passports (e-passports) in the state since August 2008 till date.

The state Comptroller of Immigration Service, Samuel Igoche, disclosed this yesterday during his maiden visit to Governor Theodore Orji.

He also disclosed that the command had issued 100 Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and African Travelling Certificates (ETC), as well as registered 3,599 ECOWAS nationals in the period.

Igoche described the e-passport as tamper and forge-proof.

He disclosed that the NIS also actively participated in the screening of candidates for pilgrims' passports and thanked the governor for funding the E-Passport Office.

The Immigration chief said the command has 313 officers deployed across the state's 17 local councils.

Stressing the importance of Immigration duties in the state, Igoche urged Governor Orji to include the Service in the state security meetings and support it with vehicles.

In response, Orji disclosed that the state Police Commissioner would head another security committee that would comprise those not accommodated in the state Security Council meeting.

He pledged to give logistics support to all security agencies in the state as funds become available.

On the poor condition of infrastructure in Aba, Governor Orji said he would soon resort to weeping and crying, as done by the late Governor Sam Mbakwe of old Imo State to attract Federal Government's attention to the state.

His words: "I want to be another Governor Sam Mbakwe. Aba problem is more than what Abia State government can solve. We lack the capacity to do so. We are suffering in Abia State and cannot do in Aba what we did in Umuahia because of the magnitude of Aba's problem".