Passport pain: Immigration officials profit from FG’s failure, feed fat on Nigerians’ nightmare

Despite the scorching sun, the crowd at the Nigeria Immigration passport office in Ikeja kept swelling with exasperated Nigerians. Many of the applicants who went with high hopes of getting their passports left in frustration.

One of them was John, who needed the document urgently. Worry and anxiety were written on his face as he called his father on the phone to lament his ordeal. When he was done, he told one of our correspondents how he had become frustrated after pursuing the document for over 3 months.

“I am not in a good mood at all. I've been coming here since February. They keep wasting people’s time. My parents paid for me through someone. Nobody applies online, because they will not attend to you. So many people are just sitting down and their files are unattended to. Documents for processing are not available; they say there are no booklets,” he said.

Another applicant, Patience, was also dejected when one of our correspondents approached her and introduced himself as a journalist. She sneered, wondering how the reporter could help her situation. After some persuasion, she opened up. “I gave up on Nigeria a long time ago. Nothing can be better. For the past 3 weeks, they've been asking me to bring one document or the other. My house is far away and I need the passport urgently. But they are saying there is no passport booklet.

“The officers said if I needed express (service), then I must add something to the fee they had already charged; they demanded between N10,000 and N15,000. But I am ready to even pay, except that there is a problem with my name I needed them to correct. You know how things are done in Nigeria. Online, the fee is N17,000, but I was asked to pay N40,000, and that was because I went directly to an officer I knew. And on top of that, they are asking for extra money for express.”

Several other applicants lamented how they could not secure passports because the officials claimed booklets were not available. The PUNCH, however noted that despite scarcity of the booklets, a few individuals seemed to be getting theirs. Some immigration officers around the security office near the main gate were also observed counting naira notes collected from some applicants.

While our correspondent could not tell the purpose of the payment, it was observed that many applicants paid directly to the immigration officers to ease the process of the application. Several applicants confirmed this to our reporter. A woman, who did not identify herself, said the process of the passport application had been hitch-free for her because “an uncle paid directly into the account of the officer handling it.”

The PUNCH also overheard an agent discussing with a client on the phone and talking about how he had been haggling the price for a 10-year passport for N95,000. He claimed his link in the immigration office was demanding N120,000.

A student of a private university, identified simply as Bimbo, said an intermediary who collected N50,000 from her for a 5-year passport, promised everything would go smoothly. She said the agent connected her with an immigration officer, who called her for data capturing.”

LONG WAIT, SCARCITY CHARACTERISE PASSPORT APPLICATIONS IN FCT
In the Federal Capital Territory, the situation is not different. Findings indicate passport applicants generally go through unofficial routes to obtain the booklets and pay exorbitantly. Checks show many NIS officers are taking advantage of the scarcity to engage in passport racketeering.

Many applicants have yet to get the passports weeks after going for biometric capture, after paying the stipulated fees. Officials blamed the scarcity on inadequate supply of booklets by the contractor, Iris Smart Technology Ltd.

A passport applicant, Anselm Ansadi stated, “I discovered getting the e-passport isn’t as easy as it sounds. After paying the necessary fees and doing biometric capture, I was informed the passport would be ready within a week. After waiting for over 2 weeks without getting any response, I contacted an immigration officer at NIS headquarters, who helped in fast-tracking the issuance. I had to part with additional money.”

A businesswoman, who was asked to pay N100,000 for the 10-year booklet, blamed government for giving room for unending exploitation of Nigerians by passport officials.

EXTORTION & TOUTING BY NIS OFFICERS AT PLAY IN ENUGU
At Enugu NIS passport office, an official asked one of our correspondents to pay N30,000 against the official N18,500, while an urgent passport application went for N35,000.

In a move to cajole our reporter to patronise him, the officer said, “If you want a passport, you must go through an immigration officer to get it in record time. Otherwise, if you apply online, you hardly get the passport. One person I know who applied online has not received it since November last year. Another one who applied since 1st week of February hasn’t obtained his passport till date. However, there is scarcity of passports now. But if you go through an immigration officer (unofficially), you will finish your application and receive the passport booklet.”

At Federal Secretariat Enugu, more than 5 immigration personnel accosted our correspondent, saying, “Oga do you want a passport? Is any immigration officer processing your passport?’’

The State Controller of Immigration, Mr Joachim Olumbah, promised to investigate and fish out those behind the passport racketeering in the command. He said such unprofessional acts could not be denied, but noted it was not an official endorsement from the command.

TRAVEL AGENTS & NIS OFFICERS LEVY PASSPORT APPLICANTS IN BENUE
Nigerians seeking to obtain the e-passport have decried non-availability of the travel document in Makurdi, Benue State. They also frowned on activities of middlemen and travel agents, who go about extorting money from intending travellers on pretext of assisting to facilitate issuance of passports from the NIS office.

When our correspondent in Benue visited NIS passport office located opposite High Court in Makurdi, some applicants were sighted in a queue waiting to collect their passport booklets. But their hopes were dashed as they were turned back and asked to come back another time.

One of the applicants, who identified himself as Donald, said he applied for the passport on 8 January 2021, to enable him to travel abroad for his education. At first, I was told to go to the bank and pay N18,000 into a designated account and bring the printout, which I did; since then, it has been one excuse or the other. I was asked to come today, but when I got here, an officer told me the passport control officer was not available and that I should come another time.

“This is not funny; some people who applied at same time as me, have collected theirs because they were able to grease the palms of officials. That is, after they paid N18,000 in the bank, they still came to the office and paid additional money to officials or travel agents to facilitate immediate issuance of the passport. Those of us who refused to bribe, the officials are unable to get ours.”

Another applicant, Mr Terna Suemo, said he paid for the 32-page booklet in the 1st week of March 2021 but could not get it due to non-availability of booklets. He stated, “However, an insider told me if I wanted to get it officially, it would take time, but if I needed it urgently and pay extra money, he could get the passport for me.”

NIS Public Relations Officer in the state, Mrs Ngufan Akaa, declined to comment.

LONG QUEUES OF APPLICANTS AWAITING MANDATORY BIOMETRIC CAPTURE FOR NIN ARE FEATURES OF RIVERS STATE PASSPORT OFFICE
Though the new complex donated to the service by the Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike appears comfortable, it is usually crowded amid complaints of booklet scarcity and delay. No incidence of touting was noticed at the office located at No. 8 Aba Road, Port Harcourt.

Meanwhile, an applicant who simply identified himself as Chidi, said he travelled all the way from Awka, Anambra State, to Port Harcourt, where he was referred to after paying N50,000 as express delivery charges for the 32-page passport, which ordinarily costs N25,000.

“A passport of 32 pages that costs N25,000, I was made to pay N50,000 for express service, because I needed it urgently. I came all the way from Awka, because there was no booklet at the office. I had also gone to Owerri (Imo State) and Asaba (Delta State), but there were no booklets in those states.”

Checks indicated over 1,000 booklets had yet to be collected by their owners. It was also gathered that Rivers was the only state in South-South and South-East currently issuing the e-passport with a 5 and 10-year validity period.

PASSPORT SCARCITY, VIOLATION OF FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT – LAWYER & CSO
A lawyer, Deji Ajare, of the Sterling Centre Abuja, said failure of government to issue passport booklets was a violation of the constitutionally guaranteed right to freedom of movement of citizens. “Nigerians in Diaspora, who are reportedly facing some form of difficulty over processing of their passports, can benefit from a renewal by postal service and opening of more centres to cater to this need.”

Speaking in similar vein, Executive Director, United Global Resolve for Peace, Olaseni Shalom, argued that passport scarcity was artificial and meant to subvert due process and enrich pockets of a few corrupt officers.

NIS spokesman, Sunday James, failed to respond to inquiries about what the service was doing to curb unethical conduct by immigration personnel. He did not respond to calls and a text message sent to his phone on Wednesday.

Apparently roused from its slumber by loud complaints from angry Nigerians, the FG announced a policy statement it hopes would assuage the problem. Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, said all passport backlogs would be issued on or before May 31, 2021, adding that those with issues with their applications would be contacted.

SOURCE: https://punchng.com/passport-pain-immigration-officials-profit-from-fgs-failure-feed-fat-on-nigerians-nightmare/

Institional corruption is very difficult to eliminate globally but the case in our side of the world is a queer fish.

Racoon:
Institional corruption is very difficult to eliminate globally but the case in our side of the world is a queer fish.

Not really.
How much is passport I'm America. Why then do you expect Nigerian passport to be 17k Naira.
Demand and supply holds true world over

Cromagnon:
Not really.
How much is passport I'm America. Why then do you expect Nigerian passport to be 17k Naira.
Demand and supply holds true world over

getat

Desmond Elliot

complexBoss12:

getat

guilty conscience

Until you do the needful
You will never get the needed

Cromagnon:
Not really.
How much is passport I'm America. Why then do you expect Nigerian passport to be 17k Naira.
Demand and supply holds true world over

What are you saying?.... did anybody stop the Govt from officially increasing the price?..

People are being extorted due to the government reckless decisions.

I have a passport expiring in 5 mths, wanted to renew and was told to pay 10k for every month it's still valid excluding paying over 75k for the passport itself..

There is so much extortion going on.

This country ehn we are all just corrupt. Some more than some anyways

BTW, e no go better for buhari and his vulturegrilling dxcksuckers

IZA normal sturvs







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This country is gone, extortion when they see any chance

The simply don't want us to japa, but God pass them and he will prevail over their evil ways and intentions

Jesu

Esseite:


What are you saying?.... did anybody stop the Govt from officially increasing the price?..

People are being extorted due to the government reckless decisions.

I have a passport expiring in 5 mths, wanted to renew and was told to pay 10k for every month it's still valid excluding paying over 75k for the passport itself..

There is so much extortion going on.

I don't think this problem can be solved the way it is going. Unless the government can contract the whole process to a private firm. Anything handled by government officials or agencies is riddled with corruption.

where them dey work na there them go chop

Pathetic

Very painful. As a matter of fact, every sector of this country is feeding off Buhari's failure. Even small business owners are not left out.

But you see those immigration officers, there own is worse, you can't easily do anything in that their office without paying someone.

The bad news? This has already become a norm.

Anything in Nigeria is for the highest bider

Cromagnon:
Not really.
How much is passport I'm America. Why then do you expect Nigerian passport to be 17k Naira.
Demand and supply holds true world over

It is either some of U are mad or some of U are really mad.. Why in God's name are some of U quick to compare prices and conditions in Nigeria the US of all places? What has the cost of passport in America got to do with the uselessness of our currency and system here? Do U know how many countries U can get access to jus by holding the American Passport? Since U want to make useless comparisons How much is the minimum wage compared to Nigeria? What is the value of the Naira compared to the dollars? What can 1 naira buy here in Nigeria? See Jus GETAAAT

May everyone involved in corruption in this nation never end well.

Only the guilty swines and idiots will be pained by this innocent prayers.

Barawos everywhere.
Na dat stealing go kill all of una las las.
Ndi Ara!
Oles.
Animals.

(Quote this post and cry if your family members are part of this corrupt animals, let Nlers know you today. )

Nigeria Ministries and Parastatals, are just avenue to make money, more like a market place, everything is just business. Anybody that thinks this country will get better in the near future, is just on a long thing.

who remembers when Buhari came in 2015

there was the frequent talks about

body language and the new sheriff in town

lots of people were adjusting to do the right thing

I remember in my state nddc contractors were fixing roads on their own, we heard they were scared of been arrested.

but at this time the situation is on the reverse

how do I stop thinking that the person in aso rock isn't Buhari of 2015?

Okay

Crazy situation...una sorry o...9ja tins too dey dey one kind