In Nigeria, getting things done in the government sector could be extremely difficult. Getting an international passport is one of such things that leaves you exhausted to fainting point. You could go for capturing in October and get your passport in February.
People say it is the government way of delivering Nigerians from the japa syndrome.
But when an individual needs to be abroad for something very important the problem is still there.
Now, Nigeria’s minister of Interior is pledging to change the experience for Nigerians.
He says that under the administration of Bola Tinubu, you will get your passports within two weeks of application.
Whether this is feasible or not remains to be seen
On Wednesday, through the Minister, the Federal Government announced a two-week timeline for the issuance of passports, saying the era when Nigerians waited for months to get their passports was over.
The Minister of Interior was briefing reporters in Abuja on his earlier directive to the Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS.
He wants them to clear more than 204,000 backlogs of passport applications.
The minister apologised to Nigerians that clearance of the backlog had spilled into three weeks, as opposed to the earlier two weeks deadline he gave.
‘Passport Is A right’
Tunji-Ojo lauded officers and men of the NIS for efforts made so far and charged them to work round-the-clock and on public holidays and weekends to achieve his directive.
He highlihgted that while the procurement of visas was a privilege, acquisition of a passport was the right of every Nigerian.
He also expressed the commitment of President Bola Tinubu not to increase the cost of passport issuance in spite of foreign exchange volatility.
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“On September 7, we made a promise to sort out the backlogs in two weeks, but we made it in three weeks, and I sincerely want to apologise to Nigerians for that.
“The `Renewed Hope’ administration of President Bola Tinubu is one that matches its words with actions.
“The issue of passport must be a right and not a privilege. Visa is a privilege, but passport is a right,’’ the minister said.
Tunji-Ojo stressed that with that new development, the Federal Government had been able to hand over the rights of Nigerians to them.
“For us, we are sure that if it can work at the NIS, it can work anywhere else. Nigeria is undergoing a process.
“We inherited 204,332 enrolments without passport issuance.
“We gave a marching order because the president is also on our necks to bring solutions and succour to Nigerians,’’ he said.
If you have requested for an international passport, cheer up for yours is coming soon, that is if you have not received it. If you have, share your experience with us in the comment section.
