Tunji-Ojo storms passport office, decries extortion and inefficiency

 

Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, on Tuesday carried out an unscheduled inspection of the Nigerian Immigration Service passport office in Gwagwalada, Abuja, condemning persistent delays in passport processing and alleged extortion of applicants.

The minister, who visited the VIP and Children section of the facility, expressed disappointment that several applicants were still unattended to hours after official opening time.

Engaging officers and applicants, Tunji-Ojo warned Nigerians against making payments outside approved government fees, insisting that the cost of passport services had already been fully covered.

“I don’t want to hear that you are collecting money for diesel or paper. Nigerians have paid completely for their passports. Serve them diligently,” he stated.

The minister questioned why only a handful of applicants had been processed despite the section being designated for expedited services.

“By 9:30 a.m., I expect to see at least one or two applicants attended to. I can see people waiting downstairs and our responsibility is to be efficient,” he said.

He also interrogated officials on the pace of enrolment and biometric capturing, noting that each applicant should not spend more than a few minutes.

“How long does enrolment take? Three minutes. So three times seven is twenty-one minutes,” he calculated.

Immigration officers admitted that although operations were scheduled to begin at 8 a.m., activities commenced around 9 a.m. after the generator was powered.

The minister faulted the practice of completing enrolment for all applicants before commencing biometric capture, directing that both processes should run simultaneously to reduce waiting time.

“It doesn’t make sense. People are waiting and some still need to go to work. Why must you wait until everyone is enrolled before capturing begins?” he queried.

Describing the situation as unacceptable, Tunji-Ojo stressed that delays undermined service delivery.

“You are wasting people’s precious time. Time is money and it is expensive. This is unacceptable,” he said.

He further criticised the under-utilisation of the VIP and Children section, advising officers to redirect applicants there to decongest other areas.

“It will not cost you anything to use this place for them,” he added.

Reiterating the need for fairness and efficiency, the minister declared: “Nigeria has no VIP. When you wear this uniform, you wear a uniform of sacrifice. You are here to work for the people.”