ABUJA- Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, the minister of interior, has stated that “not a dime” was spent to clear the backlogs of passports with the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) and to stop the strenuous conventional process of obtaining the document.
Mr Tunji-Ojo also mentioned that the excruciating pains witnessed by Nigerians at Immigration offices nationwide, with the delays involved in obtaining their passports, motivated him to take action.
“Immediately, I set up a committee and held meetings with the service providers, where they disclosed their challenges, and I swiftly took action. It was revealed that Alausa (Lagos) alone had over 32,000 passports with only two machines.
“We didn’t spend a dime; we only approached the service provider to assist with more machines. We also increased the number of machines in Ibadan to four. We’ve covered the ground, and the reward for good work is more work,” he said on Arise TV’s morning show on Thursday.
The minister lamented the delays in passport collection, stressing that it had forced many public servants to stay away from work to pursue their passports.
He noted that a passport is a right, not a privilege; hence, Nigerians must enjoy their right to the fullest without any hindrance.
“A passport is a right, not a privilege. Nigerians are entitled to it. When I assumed duty, the President charged all appointees with dedication to duty, emphasizing that there is no excuse for failure.”
Mr Tunji-Ojo stressed that the era of queues at the NIS for passports in the country is over, assuring that Nigerians will henceforth only need to visit the Immigration office for biometrics.
“Do not pay anybody to help you facilitate your passport. It costs N35,000 and N70,000. By February, everybody will receive their passports at their doorsteps,” the minister reiterated.
He, however, assured Nigerians in the diaspora that they will soon have the opportunity, within the next three weeks, to obtain passports and resolve other issues in a very short time.
