By Teddy Nwanunobi
ABUJA (Sundiata Post) – Nigeria has been hit with international passport scarcity, a situation which now leaves the highest bidders as the ones that get the Nigerian passport.
Scores of Nigerians visit the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) offices across the nation every working day to either renew their expired passports, or apply for a new one.
But they are only given forms to fill without any hope that they would collect the travel document any time soon.
Sundiata Post, on Thursday, at the NIS headquarters, Abuja, learnt that the passport scarcity has equally hit the Nigerian embassies.
A staff at the headquarters of the NIS in Abuja (names withheld) categorically told this reporter that the exhaustion of the international passport is a national problem.
Investigation by Sundiata Post, however, revealed that the passport booklets are not “completely” exhausted, as the officers of the Service claimed.
Sundiata Post learnt that some booklets are kept for top people in the government, as well as their families and relatives.
“Oga, you don’t expect a minister’s child to be told that there is no booklet left in the office,” another source said.
The source went on to say that other individuals could get the booklets, if they could pay far more than the official price.
“It is not as if you can’t get one, if you want. But the point is that you have to offer something to get it. What I mean is that you won’t get it at the official price. You will have to pay more to get it, if you truly want it,” our source explained.
But again, the ‘official’ prices of the passport booklets have been raised by the officers.
In Abuja, for instance, the 32-page booklet, which is officially sold for N15,000, is now sold for N25,000.
This is the official price for the age category of 18 to 59. Age categories of 0 to 17 and 60+ are officially sold for N8,750, respectively.
“It is the price (N25,000), Sir, for the 32-page booklet; ask anybody here,” our source said.
Sundiata Post also gathered that the 64-page booklet now goes for N35,000 from its official price of N20,000 across the three age categories.
Our reporter further gathered that a bribe of N5,000 could be used to fast-track the process of the passport booklets within 24 hours.
A source from the Lagos State Command of the NIS confirmed that it would only take a highly connected individual to get a booklet of the passport at the official price without paying extra money.
Sundiata Post gathered from this source that the situation is made worse by the current foreign exchange crisis.
“For almost one year now, the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company (NSPMC) Limited has not printed passport booklets. This is because the Federal Government has not given it money to print.
“No state command (in Nigeria) has the passport booklets now. Even the Nigerian embassies do not have the booklets in their offices. The issue of the foreign exchange rate has compounded the situation,” our source from Lagos said.
Sundiata Post, however, learnt that the Kogi State Command of the Service in Lokoja has some booklets, but in little quantity.
While confirming that commands from across the federation get the booklets from the Abuja headquarters, a source from the Lokoja Command said that the high demand for the booklets has put the Command under pressure.
“Even states like Delta, Edo and Lagos come to us for the passport booklets. Only yesterday (Wednesday), we gave out so many copies to the Benin and Delta commands. They came with their buses, coaster buses to carry them,” the source said.
The source also revealed that the passports could be taken with special offers.
“Yes, it is possible to get the passport within a day from this Command. You can get the 32-page booklet for N40,000. The price to get the 64-page booklet within one day is N45,000.
“I will advise you to go for it now because the booklets might be out of stock soon. The issue is that there is rush for the 32-page booklets,” the source said.
Sundiata Post offered the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Service, Sunday James, an opportunity to explain the situation surrounding the exhaustion of the passport booklets.
But James snapped at this reporter, and cut the call on him.
“Don’t ask me such questions on phone. If you want to know about anything, come to the office,” he said when this reporter called him on phone by 2:23 p.m. on Thursday.
This reporter, however, sent him a text message by 2:32 p.m. to get an appointment.
“Good day, Oga PRO; I called to make enquiries about the passport, but you cut me off, saying that I should come to your office. That’s okay. Now, since you want me to come to your office for questions and clarifications, please “what time” should I come? Thanks. Teddy,” the text message read.
But James did not reply to the above text message, or call back to give this reporter an appointment as at the time of filing in this report.