The Nigeria Immigration Service’s (NIS) Acting Comptroller General, Caroline Adepoju, has clarified that there is not a uniform two-weeks timeline for all passport issuance categories.
This is against the backdrop of the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo’s statement that there will now be a two-week timeline for the issuance of passports, saying the era when Nigerians waited for months to get their passports is over.
in a press statement signed by the spokesman of the service, Aridegbe Adedotun at the weekend, Adepoju however clarified that there are different categories for passport issuance as well as different processes involved in the approval and production and issuance of passport.
She said,
- “Following the complete clearance of Passport application backlogs nationwide in line with the directive of the Honourable Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, a new timeline of two weeks for processing and issuance of Passports was announced by the minister on the 4th of October, 2023.
- “The service wishes to use this opportunity to enlighten the general public that applications for re-issuance of lost Passport and change of data take 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.”
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In addition, The Comptroller-General stated that she has ordered an investigation into multiple complaints levelled against some of its officers over “noncompliance with ministerial directives on timeline passport administration.”
Adepoju expressed profound concerns about complaints of misconduct attributed to personnel at certain passport offices across the country. He also revealed designated phone numbers for Nigerians to report any instances of misconduct by personnel, ensuring that appropriate sanctions will be imposed.
- “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 the production and issuance of passports from all passport control officers.
- “As of today, Friday 13th October 2023, most of our passport offices are producing passports of applicants enrolled on Wednesday, 11th October 2023.”
She urged applicants to stop patronising individuals or entities that request cash payment for services, adding that Nigerians should report the unprofessional conduct of its personnel to any of the NIS offices.
This is becoming a government of liars. My biometrics had been captured for passport renewal two weeks before the two-week maximum duration for passport processing was announced. Over two weeks later, my passport is not yet ready.
I did my capture on 25th October 2023 for renewal, at the High Commission Ottawa Canada, and I am yet to get my passport. Maybe not all centres are coping with the two weeks.
I have capture since July 24th. now the passport has been in production is in progress for the past two month, nothing show up I went there last month to ask what happen they told me that my passport has enter PIP which I don’t understand up till now