The Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) has urged Nigerians who applied for International Passport and are yet to collect to visit the passports offices for collection as backlog has been cleared.
Immigration spokesman, Dotun Aridegbe a Deputy Comptroller of Immigration who disclosed this in an exclusive chat with The Guardian noted that: “The days of passports backlog are now over.”
The Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, had given the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) two weeks to clear the over 200,000 pending passport applications before it.
The minister gave the order during a meeting with the Acting Comptroller-General of NIS, Caroline Adepoju, immediately he assumed duty in Abuja.
The meeting where the order was given was also attended by Managing-Director, Iris Smart Technologies, Mr Yinka Fisher, the firm in charge of the production of Nigerian passport booklets.
The minister had said the order was in fulfillment of his promise to remove all bottlenecks in the acquisition of Nigerian passport and other immigration documents.
In fulfilment of the minister’s order, the Acting Comptroller General (CG) of Immigration, Mrs. Carol Adepoju Wura-Ola, had activated full-scale implementation team of NIS heirachy, which recorded tremendous success.
“Please help us tell applicants whose passports are lying in various passports offices across the country to go and collect their passports. We are working round the clock to make applicants happy.” He said.