The Acting Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service NIS, Caroline Wura-Ola Adepoju, has declared a state of emergency on Passport issues in the country.
In a signed statement by the Comptroller in charge of Media and Publicity, Tony Akuneme made available to journalists in Abuja on friday, the Ag.CGI Adepoju made the declaration during her working visit to Lagos which encompassed significant events that underscored the gravity of the Passport crisis.
He added that, Adepoju emphasized on the urgent need to address challenges faced by Nigerians in obtaining Passports and declared a comprehensive plan of action to tackle the issues effectively.
“In her address, Ag. CGI Adepoju canvassed the necessity to dismantle all man-made bottlenecks that impede the Passport application process. She further stressed that the NIS top management is fully committed to addressing institutional and technology-based drawbacks to ensure a more efficient and streamlined service delivery”.
“Ag. CGI Adepoju had earlier directed all Passport Control Officers, relevant units and personnel within the NIS including our Missions abroad, to work tirelessly towards eliminating all hindrances preventing Nigerians from accessing Passports promptly. The NIS is leveraging technology and instituting robust administrative measures to enhance the Passport application and issuance process” He added
Akuneme further urge all Nigerians to remain patient and cooperate with the NIS as it takes decisive steps to address the Passport crisis as she assures of efforts to ensure that every eligible Nigerian who requires a Passport can obtain one in a timely manner.
The Ag. CG also solicited the
cooperation of traditional rulers in raising awareness about the menace of human trafficking and initiating joint efforts to combat the grave issue as she embarked on a grassroot sensitization visit to the Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu.
The Ag.CGI as part of the visit inaugurated a state-of-the-art Visa on Arrival Lounge at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, demonstrating her commitment to improving the overall travel experience for visitors entering Nigeria as well as paid an unscheduled visit to the Alausa Passport office to assess the situation first hand.
