Management of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) disclosed that 112,351 out of the 204,332 cleared passport backlog throughout the nation had been but to be collected .
The performing comptroller-general of the service, Mrs. Caroline Adepoju Wura-Ola, who made the disclosure whereas briefing newsmen yesterday in Abuja, appealed to candidates, who had utilized in any of the passport places of work to verify their respective facilities of utility for assortment for gratis, earlier than it expires.
Mrs Wura-Ola who additional assured that the NIS, underneath her watch wouldn’t relent in its efforts at offering tremendous companies to Nigerians, revealed that out of the over 204,332 backlog of passport purposes cleared on the orders of the minister of Inside, solely 91,981 passports have to this point been collected.
She, nevertheless, reiterated the service’s willpower to take away all bottlenecks in passport utility by placing measures resembling growing the variety of passport manufacturing machines, in addition to the involvement of workers in a number of shifts in passport manufacturing facilities in place.
“I invite candidates who’ve utilized for passports to return and decide them up with out paying something additional,” she stated.
The NIS boss who nevertheless blamed the excessive demand for the journey doc in the previous few years on the ‘Japa syndrome’ in Nigeria, assured candidates that the two-week timeline set by the federal authorities for the processing of passports can be upheld.
Whereas explaining that each the service and its companions have upgraded their amenities to satisfy the demand for the worldwide journey doc by Nigerians, she revealed that efforts by NIS to make the passport utility course of absolutely automated had been concluded by each service and its companions.
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In her phrases, one the method is accomplished, candidates would solely go to passport places of work for biometric capturing, as they might have uploaded their pictures on our portal
Talking on the corruption on the varied passport places of work, she stated, “Corruption is opportunistic, it’s made doable the place there may be exploitive holes, I can guarantee you that any workers of Nigeria immigration service that’s caught in any type of malpractice earlier than performing their statutory duties shall be severely punished, I’ve the directives of the minister of Inside, we’ll make scape goat out of tyrant officers.”
Adepoju warned candidates to shun touts, and urged them to contact the Service through 08067761196 , ought to any personnel demand a bribe from them to get a passport.
“Any personnel caught demanding bribes can be severely punished. The Minister has directed that we make a scapegoat of any corrupt official caught,” she stated.
She additionally, nevertheless, praised officers and males of the NIS for working day and evening together with weekends and public holidays to satisfy up along with his directive.