Endless wait for passports must stop, says interior minister

… promises to deploy technology to protect borders

The new Minister of Interior, Bunmi Tunji-Ojo, has bemoaned the delays experienced by Nigerians to obtain their passports.

According to him, Nigerians should not be made to wait endlessly before getting their passports.

He directed the acting Comptroller General of the Immigration, Caroline Wuraola-Adepoju, to ensure the reasons for the delays were addressed.

Tunji-Ojo said this on Tuesday during a meeting with the head of paramilitary organisations under the ministry as well as other stakeholders.

He said, “Mr. President is desirous of bringing in key reforms in our immigration policy, immigration service; a lot of reforms in terms of keeping Nigerians waiting to get their passports. Nigerians cannot be made to wait endlessly for what is their rights. We have to look at the bottleneck.

“We have to collaborate with the Service and make sure that we unburden those bottlenecks and make the Service more to the benefit of the people. Immigration service, you have to do more. We are ready to work. We have to roll up our sleeves and work.”

He also said technology would be deployed to secure the borders to complement human efforts.

Tunji-Ojo said, “We need to secure our borders and we need to ensure that all borders, whether land, air, or our sea borders, are all protected. We have to employ technology to complement and consolidate what you are already doing because I know you’re already doing some things, but we need to move at a faster pace and make sure we secure our territory as a nation.

“I want to beg you, do not disappoint me because I need to build on your performance for us to be able to deliver the Renewed Hope agenda. ”

He also said key performance indicators would be used for staff and heads of paramilitary agencies under the ministry.

“There must be timelines and key performance indicators because responsibility without accountability is irresponsibility”, he added.

Punchng.com