The Federal Government has said that at least 24,000 passports will be produced daily to completely eradicate the delays Nigerians experience in processing and obtaining their passports.
This was disclosed by the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo in Abuja on Friday, September 15, when visited by delegation from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes.
The statement by the Ministry’s Director of Press, Ajibola Afonja, said the Minister mentioned that about 97,000 out of the 200,000 backlogs of passports had been cleared.
The statement read party, “The Minister averred that the President is interested in the country’s development, therefore, there would be no room for duplication of responsibility by the agency and the ministry.
“He further cited an example of the ongoing reforms in the NIS for passport issuance; he confirmed that “as of this morning (Friday), about 97,000 passports have been cleared, and he assured Nigerians that 24,000 passports would be produced in a day when the backlogs are cleared”.
“Tunji-Ojo said Correctional facilities should be a Center of Reformation of inmates, as indicated by the nomenclature of the facilities. He said the custodial facilities should not be seen as condemnation centers.
“The Minister made the passionate appeal and implored the United Nations Agency to always collaborate with the Ministry by engaging it for any interventions across the services of the Ministry in order to avoid duplications, which often breed corruption.
“He further allayed the fear of UNODC functionaries in Nigeria that their intervention would not be politicized. Hon. Tunji-Ojo assured the team that he is not one of such politicians, adding that he is not just a politician but a technopolitician.
“He assured the visiting UNODC team that as long as he remains the Minister in the Ministry of Interior, their intervention would surely be implemented with the objectives of the projects.
“The Minister also solicited the support of the organisation for advocacy, and reorientation of Nigerian’s minds about inmates after serving their jail term.
“He pleaded for the expansion of the collaboration to cover the six geopolitical zones in the country. “
