New spokesperson appointed for immigration

Tony Akuneme, a deputy comptroller of immigration, has been appointed as the new service public relations officer with the approval of Nigeria’s comptroller general, Isah Idris.

Akuneme succeeds DCI Amos Okpu, who retired after 35 years of excellent service to the country.

DCI Akuneme is an Imo State native. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from Rivers State University in Port Harcourt. In addition, he has a Master’s in International Law and a Post Graduate Diploma in Journalism from the University of Lagos.

The NIS remarked that Akuneme brings to the Service Public Relations Department 29 years of broad and comprehensive experience in border security and migration management in a statement that our correspondent was able to obtain.

He has taken numerous courses both domestically and abroad, including the Superintendent Basic Course at the Immigration Training School in Kano, it was further said.

He has held a number of positions during his time with the NIS, according to the statement. He was appointed as a special assistant on media to the office of the minister of state for education in 2015 and kept that position till 2019. He has a long history of accomplishments in public relations.

“He has previously served in a number of domestic and foreign forces. From 1995 to 2005, he served as the Nigerian High Commission in Canada’s immigration attaché. From 2008 to 2011, he served as the Deputy Service PRO. From 2011 to 2014, he served as the PRO for the Akwa Ibom State Command.

He served as the Nigeria Diaspora Commission’s Head of the Immigration Desk until his most recent assignment. Since then, DCI Akuneme has taken over as the Nigeria Immigration Service’s public relations officer.