The nation is said to have achieved record breakthrough of 3.5m passports in less than two years. This seems to catch the attention of close watchers of reforms in Nigeria in recent times.
Now, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, Darlington Nwauju, has commended the latest reform introduced by Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, the Minister of Interior, in the nation’s passport processing regime.
He said: “The tangible, visible and eye-popping reforms introduced since the appointment of Tunji-Ojo into that Ministry less than two years ago, has turned around the fortunes of the Ministry and surpassed the achievements of his predecessors in that Ministry, if benchmarked against international standards.
Read also: New e-visa, passport system to curb corruption – NIS
“Talking about international standards, the regime of manual and archaic method of applications for special expatriate permits and temporary work permits which shortchanged the nation of huge revenues due to the inconsistencies, inaccuracies and manipulations that led to all manner of discordant data of aliens shortchanging Nigerians of work spaces and denying the nation of revenues, will soon be a thing of the past with the introduction of a compulsory online processing method.”
Again, Nwauju stated, “This Minister has ensured that the number of E-passport issuance centres across the country increases to 44 while there are now 47 of such centres in the diaspora. Interestingly, all passports being issued are now ICAO-compliant with enhanced features.”
He said by pushing to resolve the backlog of more than 200,000 passport applications plus a N20bn debt inherited by his Ministry, Tunji-Ojo’s competence and capacity is worth all the attention as it remains a huge reminder that public service is indeed a call to duty and not for unnecessary showmanship and grandeur.
“With a little over 3,546,258 passports processed in less than two years and saving the nation of N1bn annually from third party contractors through sheer ingenuity of subjecting birth/marriage certificates introduced by the Ministry, is a masterstroke.”
