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Nigeria’s Consul-General Seeks Deadline Extension For New Passport

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16 years ago

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Nigeria’s Consul-General in New York, Mr. Ibrahim Auwalu has called for the extention of the deadline on the renewal of the new Nigerian passport as the Machine Readable Passport (MRP) ceases to be a valid travel document with effect from December 31, 2010.
The Nigeria Immigration Service had announced that from January 1, 2011, only holders of the e-passport would be allowed to travel out of Nigeria.
Auwalu said on Saturday in New York that with less than an eight months to the deadline, the Nigeria Mission in New York had only issued 14,848 e-passports, between June 2008 and March 2010.
According to the Consul-General, with an estimated one million Nigerians living in the US, New York is the only centre equipped with the standard acquisition and enrolment machines for the issuance of the new Nigerian passports.
The Consul-General said the mission and immigration staffers in New York were over-stretched, handling thousands of applicants for e-passports.
He said the New York mission was the only Nigerian post issuing the e-passports in the entire western hemisphere, including North America, South America and the Caribbean Islands.
“My recommendation is that the MRP should be allowed to die naturally. Until now, some Nigerian posts and missions outside are still issuing the MRP. In the MRP, it is said that the passport is valued for five years and at the end of this year, you tell me that my passport is no longer valid and I do not know how that will not generate confusion and chaos”, he said.
“The sheer number of applicants we have for e-passport is stretching our resources. People walk in from all over the US, and sometimes from Canada, people fly in for this passport”, Auwalu further stated.
“Every weekend from now till the end of June has been taken up and we have invitations to travel outside New York because we came up with the idea to take the services to the people”, he further explained.
It was learnt that anger, frustration and chaos, are the order of the day at the immigration department in the Nigeria mission in New York as Nigerians struggle each working day to exchange their old passport for the new one.
Inadequate staffers, poor logistics and limited office accommodation are some of the complaints of both applicants and workers.
It would be recalled that in 2007, the NIS introduced the chip-based e-passport to check the growing cases of forgery and identity theft.
At the onset, 22 centres across the country were designated for the issuance of the e-passport but at present, all the 36 states and the FCT have their centres.
In 2008, Nigeria missions in London, New York Johannesburg, New Delhi and Madrid and the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) started rolling out e-passports.
The NIS says it has also carried out e-passport intervention programmes in Poland, Greece, Ukraine, Austria, Malawi, Botswana, Ethiopia, Cameroun, Togo, Namibia as well as Zambia, and is set to intervene in Ireland and Australia soon.
In January this year, the NIS said it has issued 1.7 million e-passports between August 2007 and December 2009.

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HoS Hails Fubara Over Provision of Accommodation for Permanent Secretaries

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6 days ago

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February 2, 2026

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The Head of Service (HoS) of Rivers State, Dr. Mrs. Inyingi S. I. Brown, has commended Governor Sir Siminalayi Fubara, GSSRS, for approving befitting accommodation for Permanent Secretaries in the state.
This commendation was contained in a press release made available to newsmen in Port Harcourt.
According to the Head of Service, Governor Fubara has continued to demonstrate uncommon commitment to the welfare of civil servants in Rivers State, stressing that such gestures underscore his people-oriented leadership style. She urged civil servants across the state to remain supportive of the governor’s administration in order to sustain good governance and effective public service delivery.
Speaking on behalf of the Body of Permanent Secretaries, Dr. Brown congratulated Governor Fubara on the occasion of his 51st birthday, describing him as “a Governor who leads by serving.”
She further praised the governor’s service-driven and people-centred leadership approach, noting that it has significantly contributed to institutional stability and improved efficiency within the state’s public service. Special appreciation was expressed for the approval of a befitting accommodation complex for Permanent Secretaries, which she said reflects the governor’s commitment to staff welfare and enhanced productivity.
As part of activities to mark the governor’s birthday, the Body of Permanent Secretaries announced the sponsorship of 329 Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) forms for indigent students across the state.
A breakdown of the initiative shows that 319 forms will be distributed across the 319 political wards in Rivers State, while five forms are allocated to non-indigenes and five forms to persons living with disabilities.
Interested applicants are advised to contact the Office of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, for further details.
The Body of Permanent Secretaries wished Governor Fubara continued good health, divine wisdom, and greater accomplishments in his service to the people of Rivers State.
By John Bibor
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Allegation of Disrespect to President Tinubu Unfounded — Rivers Government

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6 days ago

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February 2, 2026

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The attention of the Rivers State Government has been drawn to a statement credited to an acclaimed Rivers State chapter of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), purportedly authored by one Bestman Innocent Amadi, alleging that the Governor of Rivers State, His Excellency Sir Siminalayi Fubara, GSSRS, removed the official portrait of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, from the Government House, Port Harcourt.
For the avoidance of doubt, the Rivers State Government wishes to categorically state that there is no policy, directive, or intention on the part of the government or the Governor that disrespects the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria or undermines the authority of the Federal Government.
On the contrary, the Rivers State Government, under the leadership of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, currently enjoys a robust, cordial, and collaborative relationship with the Federal Government, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and the Renewed Hope Agenda—a partnership that is already yielding positive and tangible benefits for the people of Rivers State.
Consequently, the insinuation that the Governor acted out of “ingratitude” or “disrespect” is misleading, irresponsible, inflammatory, and entirely unsupported by verifiable facts, and should therefore be disregarded by the public.
It is regrettable that a body expected to promote youth unity, peace, and responsible engagement would resort to incendiary language, personal attacks, and unsubstantiated claims capable of overheating the polity at a time when Rivers State requires calm, dialogue, and mature leadership.
The Rivers State Government therefore calls on well-meaning members of the public, particularly its esteemed and hardworking youths, to disregard and dissociate themselves from individuals or groups bent on advancing divisive rhetoric and falsehoods for political purposes.
Rivers State belongs to all of us. Political differences must never be allowed to override truth, civility, peace, and the collective pursuit of progress.
Members of the public are further urged to remain vigilant and avoid lending credence to inflammatory statements or the activities of fifth columnists pursuing dubious agendas aimed at sowing discord.
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Rivers Government Dismisses Allegations of Disrespect to President Tinubu

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6 days ago

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February 2, 2026

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The Rivers State Government has dismissed as unfounded and misleading allegations that Governor Sir Siminalayi Fubara removed the official portrait of President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu from the Government House in Port Harcourt.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the state government reacted to claims credited to an acclaimed Rivers State chapter of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), describing the allegation as false, irresponsible, and unsupported by any verifiable facts.
The government clarified that it has no policy, directive, or intention that disrespects the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria or undermines the authority of the Federal Government. It emphasized that Governor Fubara maintains a cordial, respectful, and collaborative relationship with President Tinubu and the Federal Government.
According to the statement, the relationship between Rivers State and the Federal Government has grown stronger under the Renewed Hope Agenda, with tangible benefits and positive impacts already being felt by residents of the state.
The Rivers State Government described insinuations that the governor acted out of “ingratitude” or “disrespect” as deliberately provocative, noting that such claims are capable of misleading the public and unnecessarily heating up the polity.
It further expressed concern that an organization expected to promote youth unity and peace would engage in what it termed incendiary language, personal attacks, and unsubstantiated accusations at a time when the state requires calm, dialogue, and responsible leadership.
The government called on well-meaning members of the public, especially the youths of Rivers State, to disregard the claims and dissociate themselves from individuals or groups spreading divisive rhetoric and falsehoods for political purposes.
Reaffirming its commitment to peace, unity, and progress, the state government stressed that political differences must never be allowed to override truth, civility, and the collective interest of the people.
Members of the public were also urged to remain vigilant and not give attention to inflammatory statements or individuals described as fifth columnists bent on causing division within the state.
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