Aregbesola blames NIS for scarcity of passport booklets
By Ibrahim Adeleke
The Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, has fingered the Nigerian Immigration Service in the scarcity of passport booklets, hindering many Nigerians from getting new passport or renewing the expired ones.
The minister claims that the “human aspect” in passport offices is a major contributing factor to the shortage of passport booklets.
Therefore, he issued a challenge to the Nigerian Immigration Service to focus its searchlight on incompetent officers determined to use the processing of passport and visa applications to line their own pockets.
The Minister made the commitment on Saturday at the National Headquarters of NIS Abuja at a Quarterly Review Meeting with select consultants – Special Service Providers – engaged by his ministry.
He also promised to clean up the nation’s system for processing applications for citizenship, marriage licenses, and passports.
A statement by the Deputy Director of Press at the interior ministry, Afonja Ajibola, said Aregbesola frowned at what he described as an “unacceptable passport procedure racketeering” being perpetrated with the connivance of unscrupulous officials.
He read the riot act to those who indulge in the embarrassing act to desist or be prepared to face dire consequences.
While commending the service providers for being worthy partners, he urged them to strictly adhere to agreements governing the Public Private Partnership (PPP) pact with the Ministry.
