Senate Investigates NIS’ Delay In Issuance, Renewal Of Int’l Passports

Delving into issues surrounding  persistent delay in the issuance  and renewal of Nigerian international passports by the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), the   Senate,  has directed its Committee on Interior to urgently  investigate the circumstances  leading to  the anomaly .
It also mandated the committee to  turn in a report of the investigation in two weeks.
The resolution  of the Senate followed the adoption of a motion on the “Delay on Issuance, Renewal of Nigerian International Passports “by the Nigerian Immigration Service  sponsored by Senator Uche Ekwunife (Anambra)  at plenary  yesterday.
Ekwunife in her lead debate  drew the lawmakers’ attention to  the delay in issuance and renewal of the passports  by the Immigration nationwide which had  caused    untold hardship to   Nigerians, who  wished to travel out or return to the country.
She said the international passport was  an official identity document,   issued to Nigerians for the purpose of travelling out and into the country in exercise of their rights to personal liberty and freedom  of movement.
She said many  Nigerians were still facing  challenges with  passport processing, despite the six-week time- line of  processing passports given by the Federal Government  barely a year ago .
Ekwunife noted that presently,  new applicants and those who want their passports renewed  spend between three to six months processing their international passport applications   at the offices of the Nigerian Immigration Service and Nigerian embassies outside the country.
She  said getting appointment for biometric capturing at the passport offices now takes  between five to eight weeks, while it takes , many applicants four months waiting for their  passports to be ready for collection after the biometric exercise.
According to her, it has become very difficult processing this essential document especially in cities like Lagos, Port Harcourt and Abuja.
This, she said has forced applicants to travel to other parts of the  country seeking the document.
She also noted that international  students are not spared in this horrible ordeal.
Senators, in their contributions to the motion took turns to condemn the development with some narrating their personal experiences.
Sen.Biodun Olujumi (Ekiti) said the motion was timely, saying that it was important to resolve the issue . She noted that  years back, passports were issued within two or three days.
She said it was embarrassing to  Nigerians  that applicants would need to wait six to eight months for passports  to be issued .
Sen.Gershom Bassey (Cross River), who seconded the motion  said  issuance  of   passports was a right of  every  Nigerian, and emphasised  the need for the government to resolve this and save Nigerians this stress.
Sen.Muhammad Bulkachuwa  (Bauchi),  however, said  the motion was long overdue. He narrated his personal experience of the delay he suffered.
The Senate Committee is expected to   turn in its report  in two weeks time.

By:      Nneka Amaechi-Nnadi, Abuja