The perennial passport scarcity and inefficient administration of the processes are major challenges the Acting Comptroller General of Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) Mrs. Adepoju, Carol Wura-Ola, a seasoned and experienced officer, must address headlong.
The Acting CGIS was one time the Deputy Comptroller General (DCG) in-charge of the Directorate of Migration, and at another time, the Immigration Attaché in Canada. She is abreast of the passport challenges faced by Nigerians both at home and abroad. She is, therefore, in the best position to understand issues before any public pronouncements.
Public policy statements are taken seriously by the citizens, and makers of such statements must be conscious, well guided and be accountable for what they say. Unguided statements are capable of sending wrong signals to, and misinforming, the public. Intentions must be differentiated from realities, especially on sensitive matters of citizens’ concern, such as passport delivery.
Several attempts have been made by the NIS to find lasting solutions to efficient passport delivery to Nigerians. In spite of the minimal successes recorded in this area, overall, delivery falls short of public expectations. However, making ambiguous and appealing statements to the public is not the quick fix efficiency that Nigerians demand.
At the commissioning of the Nigeria Immigration Service Passport Front Desk Office at Auchi, Edo state, on May 20, 2023, the then Minister for Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, said, “we are in the final stage of concluding negotiations with NIPOST to begin using its speed mail service to deliver passports to Nigerians wherever they are in the world after production.”
As laudable as this sounds, what impact will it make with regards to the current passport challenges confronting Nigerians, especially in terms of scarcity of booklets which has caused illegal pricing? How practicable, even, is it for NIPOST to deliver passports efficiently worldwide?
While proliferation of passport Front Desk Offices is commendable to bring these centres closer to the people, has it reduced the problems of availability of booklets? Has it reduced the duration of processing and collection? Are these Front desk offices production centres? Delivery of produced passports is the least of the concerns of applicants. Indeed, engaging a delivery agency on the passport production chain is not a novelty. Before the muted NIPOST deal, there has been an existing company called GREATER WASHINGTON, contracted by NIS for over ten years for the same purpose. Greater Washington is not only to deliver produced passports locally, but also to verify the authenticity of documents submitted by applicants. It was to electronically store information related to all produced passports. How many Nigerians can claim that they received their passports through the company and what percentage if any?
Most Nigerian Missions have methods of dispatching produced passports to owners. Some use postal services, and courier companies, like MRW, used in Spain. What facilities has NIPOST got to deliver passports to individuals all over the world? How much has Greater Washington achieved in this regard? Has NIS disengaged Greater Washington to avoid duplication or litigation as is common with botched contracts? The case of CONTEC, the company in charge of production of CERPAC that led to arbitration in London should be fresh in the minds of the NIS management. Unfortunately, major aspects of NIS’ functions have been contracted out, not necessarily for efficient service delivery but to cronies for selfish benefits.
Efforts should be doubled towards production of adequate number of booklets to meet demand. Passport is issued on demand and supply basis like any other commodity. When demand exceeds supply, even when costs are fixed, the demand pressure will induce pricing that leads to corruption. It is shocking that passport booklets are produced abroad. Nigerian Security Printing and Minting company is capable of producing passport booklets, no matter the security features. The IRIS Technology can still partner with NIS to host the central data base and other aspects. The dollarisation of the production of passport booklets will continue to create booklets scarcity as the company will hardly meet the foreign exchange requirement to meet demands. The local production will have the benefits of foreign exchange savings for the country, increase in revenues for the local company and creation of jobs for the unemployed.
Patriotism should be our guiding principle at any level of leadership and the interest of Nigerians must be paramount.
I wish the new leadership of NIS a successful and innovative tenure.
Okafor, Ph.D., fsi, Pcc+ is a former Senior Officer of NIS.
