Nigeria’s Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has reiterated his promise that the automation of the country’s passport application will start in December 2023, but how can citizens hold him accountable?
Development Diaries reports that Tunji-Ojo, in an interview on Channels Television, said the automation of Nigeria’s passport application is 99 percent complete.
Automation of passport application 99 per cent done, to go ‘live next week or thereabouts,’ says Minister of Interior Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo.#CTVTweets#PoliticsToday pic.twitter.com/CRNHj40YIh
— Channels Television (@channelstv) November 28, 2023
The minister had earlier said that the automation process indicated that Nigerians would not need to wait longer than two weeks before they get their passport.
Also, Nigerians have been promised that they will have their passports delivered to their homes, offices, and other locations of their choice by February 2024.
It must be stated that there have been several failed promises by the ministry to address issues tied to passport application.
Recall that the former Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, instituted a six-week processing time for all passport applications. However, as time would later show, Tunji-Ojo’s predecessor failed to deliver on his promise.
A media investigation found that some Nigerians who had correctly completed the online passport application process had to wait more than ten weeks without receiving their passports.
According to the report, immigration agents colluded with touts to defraud well-meaning Nigerians of their money by offering shortcuts, since the usual method took a longer time.
The fulfillment of promises will demonstrate accountability on the part of the minister as it creates a sense of trust between the government and the public.
Development Diaries therefore calls on the minister to ensure that all man-made bottlenecks that impede the passport application process are dismantled and his December and February deadlines are met.
He should also ensure that officials of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) who collude with touts to boycott the passport application channel to fleece Nigerians are fished out and dealt with in accordance with the law.
As for citizens, the minister has asked us to hold him accountable. Ensure you report your passport application experience as the countdown to the aforementioned deadlines begins.
Photo source: Ministry of Interior
