Grace Egila
The Minister of Interior Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, and also Chairman, Civil Defence, Fire and Immigration Service Board have declared that there is no shortage of passport booklet anywhere in the world, hence that Nigeria should not be different.
This was contained in a statement, Thursday, by the Deputy Director, Press and Public Relations Officer, Afonja Fatai Ajibola.
According to the statement, the Minister made the remark while decorating the newly recognized Acting Comptroller General of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), Alhaji Idris Isa Jere, in Abuja.
He urged Nigerians, both home and in the diaspora to always follow the right channel in the process of acquiring an international passport through the available online platform.
Aregbesola further reiterated that patronizing touts and racketeers in acquiring passports would only lead to delay and extortion of prospective applicants.
He charged the Acting Comptroller General, NIS, Jere to find a lasting solution to the difficulties Nigerians go through in the issuance of passports, stressing that President Muhammadu Buhari was concerned about the difficulties Nigerians in diaspora faced in obtaining Nigerian passports.
“Your new rank comes with more responsibilities, as such you must find a lasting solution in the issuance of passport, thereby making the process seamless.”
In his remark, the Permanent Secretary Dr. Shuaib Belgore, represented by Director Citizenship and Business, Mrs. Moremi-Soyinka Onijala commended the Acting CG Immigration service for his tenacity and dedication to service, which she said earned him the feat.
She further encouraged him to sustain the tempo he was known within the discharge of the tasks that will come with the new rank.
