Early signs, indicating NIS might dive into a more brutal pre-backlog clearance era.


The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) commenced its well-publicized ‘new regime’ on June 8, 2021, after a halt in international passports services on its online portal. That was after a postponement from the earlier proposed 1st of June, 2021, enabling the agency, to effect a complete overhaul of the system in passport acquisition processes. From self-registration on its online portal to capturing of applicant’s biometrics at passport processing centers, down to production, and final booklet issuance to applicants.

The topmost of the reasons behind such a wonderful and innovative idea was to clear a backlog of passport applications, which was becoming a menace and demeaning to the agency.

The processes advertised, especially the self-registration aspect was ideal. It allows applicants to carefully and confidently vet their entries, in a considerate environment and manner, before final submission on the NIS registration portal. This appears genuine, seamless, fantastic, excellent, and encouraging for applicants to embrace.

Despite its portrayed determination, in ensuring transparency and fairness to all applicants, free from corporate sharp practices by its officers, it seems the agency has a lot of work to do in this regard.

From public sources, applicants’ experiences in the current passport regime, are yet to spell much positive difference, from the subjected harsh and brutal conditions and circumstances Nigerians underwent, in acquiring or renewing their passports in the past era.

When FradorMedia’s newsman approached a young man, who appeared unperturbed, while other applicants are obviously eager to be attended to, for fillings or capturing, at one of the passport processing centers in Lagos, the following conversation ensued:

Hi, greetings to you.

Applicant: To you too bro.

Are you here for a passport? Sorry, you seem unbothered.

Applicant: Hm, bothered ke, I’m just waiting to be called in for capturing. Na him you wan process too?

Yeah, I registered online. Seems you came in very early abi na express you do?

Applicant: I get a contact for here shaa. But him been reason say that express thing no dey ground like this o.

Ah ah! wetin you come pay am for naa? you go don pay more money naa. No be to run am yourself sure pass?

Applicant: The thing be say if you pay them, they go put eye for your matter like this. Na 48k I pay like this o.

You mean say my own fit stay long.

Applicant: I no know shaa. Wetin I know be say they want make you bring money. I observe say all that file (he pointed at a different kind of file held by one officer), na for people wey do am online. I see say them dey stress those people die. One guy don commot like three times for here go outside, dem go tell am print all for collor, do this one do that one upon say him park all him documents join body, and na renewal him dey do. And after all that, dem tell am say e no still sure am to capture this week self.

So they still they do this thing after dem don enter new regime when dem hype wella.

Applicant: Hm bros, you go ready for frustration oo, God go help you shaa.

Post backlog clearance experiences and public recounts from applicants, however, suggest the ‘new’ is becoming more pronounced, in the technically re-strategized staff-sustained touting, racketeering, and other corporate vices. This is aimed at severely hurting the applicants, their purses, and their time.

A simple look at public sources would address one’s curiosity on this subject. Here is another experience from an online user (quoted anonymously), affirming the pre-backlog dirty practices, still exist in NIS.

I was at the immigration office today and my “link” there made it clear, that there is nothing like express IP process at the branch, as it used to be.

The major difference, between those who follow the DIY route and those who pay for express, is just that in the latter, the time between application and capturing is expedited. An individual monitors your application until receipt of the IP.

The 6 weeks duration, between application and receipt of the IP applies to both categories.

However, I noticed the reluctance to attend to those who applied through the DIY route (You know that their feeling of ‘you non wan pay abi?’). The files of those who took the other route were prioritized, which makes it possible to apply and ‘capture’ the same day.

I hope this trend does not bring back the backlog problem, especially for those who applied via the DIY route.

Anyway, I used the other route, after much persuasion from family but I don’t think there is much difference between both.

The vent hereunder, is to a deep sense of hurt, coming directly from an aggrieved applicant, from the Port Harcourt passport office. Although, the applicant didn’t state what exactly transpired between them, went extreme with rage... Read more...

https://www.fradormedia.com/2021/07/signs-nis-risks-leap-diving-into-a-more-brutal-past.html

Engr. Alex Akwuiwu, The Imo born Spanish-trained automobile engineer, constructs a celebrity-styled car from the scratch.
There have been notable efforts from Nigerians, to make great impacts in the automobile industry. It is worthy to note and mention the pioneer in this regard, in the person of Dr. Ezekiel Izuogu, who hails from Akokwa (a town in Imo State).

Amidst shortfalls (including research and auto-design) stalling remarkable developments in Nigeria’s automobile industry, comes another automobile guru, Engr. Alex Akwuiwu, who is so conscious of making a giant imprint in that sector.

Engr. Alex started his journey as an automobile engineer in Europe, he moved to Nigeria thereafter, to contribute his experience to the growth of Nigeria’s development in its automobile industry. As an automobile engineer, his design ideas could spell the genesis of indigenous exotic cars in Nigeria. Below is a snippet from an interview he granted... More photos...https://www.fradormedia.com/2021/03/an-exotic-car-built-from-the-scratch-by-engr-alex-akwuiwu.html

Ludacris, the hip-hop artist formally certified a pilot.
In a video shared on his Instagram page as seen below, the rapper flying an aircraft. The video, he posted with the caption below...

https://www.fradormedia.com/2021/03/ludacris-now-flies-a-plane-certified-a-pilot.html

Given the ongoing brawl between Former Governor Rochas Okorocha and Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State. A curious mind would be drawn to something different from the subject of the ongoing brouhaha. Of all the things noticed in all these squabbles, one thing comes out top, which is the quality of personal projects politicians execute with public funds and resources...
https://www.fradormedia.com/2021/02/the-quality-of-personal-projects-politicians-builds-with-public-resources-t.html

Residents of some rural communities in Congo DR convey corpses to mortuaries using motorbikes – would you suggest alternatives?
If you think you’ve seen it all, as regards the height of poverty suffered in some poor areas, concrete revelation of incidents around other poor communities will prove you wrong and leave you baffled.

Most necessities lacking in poor communities, are in the area of basic amenities to complement basic human needs. Such needs are as basic as the availability of food, clean drinking water, shelter, health facilities, and value for human lives and rights.

More advanced facilities like standard road networks, recreational facilities, standard health institutions, standard financial, commercial, and educational institutions, etc., which are essential in economic strength and growth are things to only imagine in rural communities...
https://www.fradormedia.com/2021/02/unbelievable-corpses-are-conveyed-to-and-fro-mortuaries-with-motorbikes-in-some-poor-communities-in-congo-dr.html

Earlier thread https://www.nairaland.com/6420759/echetama-alvan-ikoku-college-lecturer

The Veteran Thespian and A Lecturer, Sir Mike Echetama Transitions Unto Eternity.

The early hours of Tuesday, the 16th February 2021, became gloomy and mournful for the immediate family of Late Sir Mike Echetama and the entire Nollywood industry in Imo State, stemming from the deep scorching news of the veteran film maker’s demise.

The sad news was confirmed to FradorMedia™ by Conac Umez (Turn by Turn), a former Chairman of Actors’ Guild of Nigeria, Imo State Chapter as we couldn’t get across to his wife, we were able to get on the phone with Conac Umez (a close confidant of Sir Mike) who confirmed the incident.

Another trusted source of ours, Mr. TLucky Chukwu, a one-time awardee as the “The Youngest Movie Producer” and also a one-time winner of Actor’s Guild of Nigeria, Imo State chapter’s general elections in 2017 as the PRO, alongside Sir Mike Echetama as the most favored contestant in the office of the State Chairman of the guild in the same election. Mr. Chukwu when contacted on phone,

My brother, it is true. He came to the Guild’s State general elections held on Saturday and was full of life, with no obvious symptom of ill-health, and left the same way. It was on Sunday night that he felt ill through Monday and before the family could get him to Federal Medical Center, Owerri, on Monday, he already gave up the ghost.

Those were his words.

The Late veteran was a close confidant to the Late Sam Loco Efe of blessed memory. He had featured in numerous Nollywood movies. Sir Mike Echetama was a calm and collected gentleman, a man of peace and utmost decorum.

Worthy of note, is also the fact that he was a Seniour Lecturer at the Alvan Ikoku Federal College of Education, Owerri. A married man with kids and a Catholic Knight.

https://www.fradormedia.com/2021/02/breaking-nollywood-loses-another-asset-in-sir-mike-echetama.html