The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has faulted delays in passport processing and warned officials of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) against extorting applicants during an unannounced visit to the passport office in Gwagwalada, Abuja.
During the inspection, Tunji-Ojo stressed that applicants must not be charged any fees beyond those officially approved, declaring that inefficiency and illegal payments would no longer be tolerated under his watch.
The minister toured the VIP and Children’s sections of the facility, where he interacted with both immigration officers and applicants. He questioned why only a handful of people had been attended to several hours after the office was expected to open.
Expressing concern, Tunji-Ojo noted that despite the section being designated for expedited services, applicants were still waiting long after opening hours, while many others remained unattended in other parts of the office.
“By 9.30am, I expect to see at least one or two applicants processed here. People are already waiting downstairs, and our responsibility is to be efficient,” the minister said.
He also cautioned passport applicants against making any unofficial payments and warned officers against demanding extra charges under any guise.
“I don’t want to hear that you are collecting money for diesel or paper. Nigerians have paid fully for their passports and deserve prompt service,” he said.
Tunji-Ojo further questioned the slow pace of enrolment and biometric capturing, noting that each applicant should be processed within minutes if systems were properly managed.
In response, immigration officials explained that although operations were scheduled to begin at 8am, activities only commenced around 9am due to power supply challenges, as the generator had to be switched on before work could start.