Endless queue for passports must stop, Minister tells NIS

The Federal Government has expressed dismay over the difficult circumstances Nigerians have to go through in order to obtain a passport, warning that the era where citizens queue endlessly to get passports must stop.

Minister of Interior, Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, who spoke at a brief with the Acting Comptroller General of Immigration, Adepoju Carol Wura-Ola, and Controller General of the Nigerian Correctional Service, Haliru Nababa, urged the Nigeria Immigration Service to make the process seamless while ensuring that the document is made available to applicants in record time.

A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Minister, Alao Babatunde, on Wednesday in Abuja, said the Minister also charged agency heads under the ministry on the need to walk their talk as the country is at a critical point and in dire need of transformation.

She reiterated the order of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to get all hands on deck to actualise the renewed hope agenda of the current administration.

“I am just returning from a meeting with the president. He is not interested in excuses. We must work and deliver. Anyone who cannot help Nigeria to record progress must be kicked out because we can actually be great,” he said.

“Let me know your challenges. I am here to help you solve them. When you solve them and record successes, I am also successful. The time of talks is gone. So, keep your talk. Let us discuss solutions.

“Nigerians should not have to queue endlessly to get passports. No, this must stop. This is not the Nigeria of our dreams. I need to know the challenges the agency is facing.

“We must all come together to deploy and invest our expertise to resolve them. Nigerians will take us up on our promises. If we have officers who are not ready for this rigorous process, we will excuse them.”

He reminded the agency heads that the new administration was not interested in usual talks and essay presentations, but actions to deliver value and growth.

He said: “Talks have not taken us anywhere as a nation. We must get it right. The Ministry of Interior is the heart of any nation. I want you to return to your tables and bring up action plans. It is my job to ensure the ministry is working.”

The Minister also underscored the importance of leveraging technology as a means to enhance efficiency and accuracy within the immigration and correctional services.