IMMIGRATION SERVICE TO PROBE ERRANT OFFICERS OVER PASSPORT DELAYS

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The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service, Mrs Caroline Adepoju, on Saturday, ordered an investigation into multiple complaints levelled against some of its officers over “noncompliance with ministerial directives on timeline passport administration.”

Adepoju revealed the appropriate phone numbers for Nigerians to report any type of misconduct by any personnel for appropriate sanctions after expressing deep concern over complaints of misconduct levelled against the service’s personnel in some passport offices nationwide.

The service’s Public Relations Officer, Dotun Aridegbe, revealed this in a statement he signed on Saturday titled, ‘Alleged unprofessional conducts at passport offices.’

Aridegbe noted that “the Comptroller General has ordered an investigation into the matter, especially in regards to the noncompliance with Ministerial directives on the timeline of passport administration.”

According to the CGI, the Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, on October 4, announced a new timeline of two weeks for processing and issuance of passport following the complete clearance of passport application backlogs nationwide.

Therefore, she presented additional phone numbers for the public to report misdemeanors by NIS personnel at any of its offices, saying, “We are not only ready to answer your calls but resolve issues.”

Adepoju said the Service Spokesperson can be reached on 08028320751, and the Special Adviser on SERVICOM can be contacted on 08067761196.

The public can also reach the NIS Contact Center on 09121900655, 09121556359 and 09121477092 to its X and Facebook handles, @nigimmigration, Adepoju added.

She assured citizens that “The Service has, on a daily basis, monitored the compliance level at all passport offices nationwide and at our missions abroad.

“We receive daily reports on production and issuance of Passports from all Passport Control Officers.

“As of today, Friday, October 13, 2023, most of our passport offices are producing passports of applicants enrolled on Wednesday, October 11, 2023.”

Nonetheless, the immigration chief appealed to citizens to be patient, given that the re-issuance of lost Passport and change of data takes longer to process due to security clearance.

“The Service wishes to use this opportunity to enlighten the general public that applications for re-issuance of lost Passport and change of data takes a longer time.

“Some applicants in this category may put the Service in bad light when they complain of delay and noncompliance with the new timeline.

“These applications are required to go through security clearance and correspondence with Service Headquarters before approval for production,” Adepoju explained.

The Service urged prospective Passport applicants to visit its official website at immigration.gov.ng to apply for Passports and pay for their preferred Passport categories and avoid patronising individuals or entities that request cash payments for Passport services.

Addressing a press conference on October 4, the Interior Minister affirmed that the Immigration Service cleared the backlogs of 204,332 outstanding passports.

He emphasised that his Ministry and the NIS, alongside its service providers, are considering two weeks as the peg for passport issuance.

Tunji-Ojo said such a permanent arrangement will ensure that Nigerians no longer experience passport delays and backlogs.