President Muhammadu Buhari’s regime has decried the abuses and gross violations of Nigeria’s expatriate quota policy by foreigners and some organisations in the country.

The Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, condemned the practice on Monday in Abuja at the re-inauguration of the expanded task force on Expatriate Quota Administration to achieve effective and efficient service delivery

“These abuses include, but are not limited to companies employing expatriates without approval from the ministry; allegations of companies obtaining fake permits for their expatriates; companies half-hearted or non-commitment to grooming Nigerian understudies.

“Companies recruiting fewer than required understudies and giving them non-commensurate remunerations; illegal transfers of approvals between and among firms and expatriates.

“Failure to train Nigerian understudies up to the standard of the expatriates they are being groomed to replace, and expatriates staying on their jobs for more than 10 years,” he said.

A statement by Afonja Ajibola, the spokesperson for the ministry, quoted Mr Aregbesola as saying there was no room for carelessness.

According to him, where nations are careless or unmindful, it leads to untoward consequences of lopsided and imbalanced relationships, foreign domination and stunted development of the host country’s personnel and economy.

The minister said these would ultimately create a dependency syndrome that Nigeria could not afford as it usually breeds resentment, xenophobia and bad blood between nationals and foreigners.

Mr Aregbesola recalled that the task force was first inaugurated on December 1, 2020, “but due to other developments and matters arising, necessitated the expansion of the membership of the task force, hence its re-inauguration.

The minister charged the 21-member task force, which has Bola Ilori as its chairman and Ejike Osibe as secretary, to do their work diligently, adding, “you should step on toes where necessary and when it becomes unavoidable.”

Mr Aregbesola, however, said that the task force was not to witch-hunt or attempt to make foreigners and their companies uncomfortable.

The minister said the task force has the mandate to ensure that the laws of the land were complied with by foreigners, just like Nigerians.

The minister said that the expatriate quota policy provides an effective means for documenting foreigners’ presence and their activities and ensuring their protection.

He said expatriate quotas were usually issued to foreigners and, in some cases, Nigerian firms to enable them to bring in high-level skilled manpower that was not readily available in the country.

According to him, the permits are valid for two years at the first instance and renewable cumulatively for a maximum of 10 years, after which the expatriate returns to his or her country.

“During this period, at least two Nigerians should be groomed to take over from the expatriate.

“This policy attracts investments in our economy and also brings with it high-level manpower development and ensures technology transfer if the grooming of Nigerian understudies is done in good faith,” Aregbesola said.

This, he said, was in line with Mr Buhari’s promise to provide 100 million jobs for Nigerians.

(NAN)