New Interior Minister, Tunji-Ojo Moves To Tackle Delays In Passport Issuance

The new Minister of Interior, Bunmi Tunji-Ojo, has made moves to tackle how Nigerians wait endlessly for their passports.

The minister expressed displeasure at how the issuance and collection of passports take so much time.

Naija News reports that Tunji-Ojo made this observation on Tuesday at a meeting with the head of paramilitary organisations under the ministry and other stakeholders.

He directed the acting Comptroller General of the Immigration, Caroline Wuraola-Adepoju, to investigate the matter and identify reasons behind the delays in passport collection and address them.

Furthermore, the minister said, “Mr. President is desirous of bringing in key reforms in our immigration policy, immigration service; a lot of reforms in terms of keeping Nigerians waiting to get their passports. Nigerians cannot be made to wait endlessly for what is their rights. We have to look at the bottleneck.

“We have to collaborate with the Service and make sure that we unburden those bottlenecks and make the Service more to the benefit of the people. Immigration service, you have to do more. We are ready to work. We have to roll up our sleeves and work.

 “We need to secure our borders, and we need to ensure that all borders, whether land, air or our sea borders, are all protected. We have to employ technology to complement and consolidate what you are already doing because I know you’re already doing some things, but we need to move at a faster pace and make sure we secure our territory as a nation.

“I want to beg you, do not disappoint me because I need to build on your performance for us to be able to deliver the Renewed Hope agenda. 

“There must be timelines and key performance indicators because responsibility without accountability is irresponsibility.”