WHY IMMIGRATION EXTENDED TIMELINE FOR PASSPORT RE-ISSUE, BY COMPTROLLER GENERAL
By Trek Africa Newspaper
Comptroller General of Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), CG Muhammad Babandede
Comptroller General of Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Muhammad Babandede on Wednesday explained why the Service extended the re-issue or renewal of standard international passport from 74 hours to six weeks.
He said it was because enough time was needed to verify claims by intending holders.
He said sufficient time was needed by NIS personnel to carry out background checks on applicants so that only qualified Nigerians are issued travel documents.
He spoke in Lagos when the NIS received donation of a renovated and equipped Public – Long Room by Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCO).
Babandede urged members of the public to take advantage of the new platforms designed for passport seekers, which would be carried out online for application, payment and data capturing based on invitation and other procedures.
He said the whole idea was to reduce human interface, improve service delivery thereby eliminating touting at passport offices, racketeering and crowd control.
Besides, he said the new timeline – three weeks – was designed as part of efforts to ensure efficiency, reduce interface between officers and passport seekers as well as carry out perfect tracing to ensure only true Nigerians get the document.
He said the NIS has enjoyed support from many organisations, including SNEPCO and Access Bank which erected a cash office at the Ikoyi Passport Office, Lagos.
The donation by SNEPCO included a renovated public long room equipped with queue management system technology, six units of large screen televisions and fully installed satellite television, fourteen units of air conditioning systems comprising two standing and twelve split units, four desk top computers and office tables and chairs.
On reasons for extending the re-issuance timeline, Babandede said it was not unconnected to making the process full proof and removing contact between servicemen and the customers to reduce or eliminate corruption in any form.
He said: ”The waiting period was 74 hours but the Minister wanted a waiting phase before the passports were issued. Let me give you one of the reforms carried out, we used to have home addresses when passports were issued but now we have added permanent home addresses, this will help us identify true Nigerians.
“I work in Abuja and stay there, it is not my permanent address, most of us are not Lagosians. We are either in Lagos to do business or work for a company.
“In that situation, we can apply for a passport at Ikoyi or Alausa in Lagos. That does not show you as a true Nigerian that is why we decided apart from your home address, in addition you add your permanent address so your family can be traced. We want to use that to trace applicants.”
Source: By Kelvin Osa-Okunbor
The Nation Online
