The Nigerian Government has introduced a two-week timeline for the processing of passport functions, saying the period of Nigerians ready for months to get their worldwide passports is over.
Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo disclosed this on Wednesday in Abuja at a media parley to evaluation his directive to the Nigeria Immigration Service NIS to clear over 204,000 backlogs of passport functions.
The minister who apologized profusely to Nigerians that clearance of the backlog had cut up into three weeks versus the two-week deadline he gave, nonetheless, praised officers and males of the for working day and night time together with weekends and public holidays to satisfy along with his directive.
According to him, whereas procurement of visas is a privilege, buying worldwide passports is a proper.
He additionally expressed the dedication of President Bola Tinubu to not enhance the price of passport utility regardless of the overseas alternate volatility.
He mentioned: “On September 7, we made a promise to type out the backlogs in two weeks however we made it in three weeks and I sincerely need to apologize to Nigerians for that.
“The Renewed Hope administration of President Bola Tinubu matches its phrases with actions. The subject of a passport should be a combat and never a privilege. Visa is a privilege however a passport is a proper and we’re comfortable that right this moment, we have now been capable of deal with the rights of Nigerians to them.
“For us, we’re assured that if it could actually work in NIS, it could actually work anyplace else. Nigeria is present process a course of.
“We inherited 204,332 enrolments with out passports being issued. People that had utilized and captured. That was the determine and we gave a marching order as a result of the president was additionally on our necks to deliver options and succour to Nigerians.
“We went into strategic conferences with the NIS and with the assist of our service suppliers, we have been capable of enhance printing machines to 4 in passport places of work the place we had two. Our service suppliers gave us the machines for gratis.
“The NIS personnel have been doing three shifts, working 24/7 to guarantee that we cleared the backlogs and to make sure that by no means once more are we going to have backlogs of passport manufacturing.
“We need to make sure that no one waits for greater than two weeks to get their passports.
“As of October 1, we had cleared all of the 204,332 backlogs and from the data produced by NIS, the variety of passports already collected is 91,981. Outstanding however out there is 112,351.
“We are pleading with Nigerians to please go and accumulate their passports. Please, don’t give cash to anyone. If there may be any passport workplace the place you may have finished your capturing and they don’t provide you with your passports, please lodge your complaints by way of the next; 0802 375 3414, ideally SMS and Whatsapp. Or e-mail moc.oohay@eyobija-aa
“The perspective of a really negligible fraction of NIS officers is not going to forged aspersions on the work of the vast majority of good officers.“
The minister mentioned he has perused all of the contracts and agreements the ministry and its businesses had entered into with service suppliers, saying within the subsequent couple of months, passport candidates would be capable to add their passport pictures by way of the immigration portal, somewhat than going to passport places of work for such seize.
According to him, candidates would solely be required to go to the passport places of work for his or her biometrics enrolment.
“Hopefully by December, folks is not going to must go to passport places of work and they’re snapping or taking photos. This is 2023. People will be capable to add their passport pictures on-line with specs. When you apply for a visa, you try this and we’re advancing in that line. Also, your supporting paperwork must be uploaded on-line in order that whenever you go to the passport workplace, however will simply be for biometrics and inside 5 minutes you may have left there. We don’t need the previous state of affairs whereby folks spend the entire day on the passport places of work. So as an alternative of the places of work capturing possibly 400 a day, they may be capable to accommodate extra folks. These are a few of the improvements we’re bringing. Even although we all know what the alternate fee is, we aren’t rising passport charges. The authorities of President Tinubu understands the wants of the folks. As an individual, I are not looking for anyone to go and keep in a passport workplace for greater than 10 minutes.“
