The Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola yesterday, commissioned the enhanced e-passport facility with Polycarbonate Data Page and other security features and Ibadan production centre at the Oyo office of the Nigeria Immigration Service, Agodi, Ibadan.
Aregbesola disclosed that the federal government has digitalised payments for the Nigerian passports, advising citizens to avoid patronising touts and unscrupulous officials when applying for the documents.
Rolling out the Enhanced e-Passport with Polycarbonate Data Page and other security features, the minister hinted that part of the reforms was the migration of passport application and payments to digital platforms.
The minister also noted that a new timeline has been set for fresh passport application and reissue.
“Our template stipulates maximum six weeks for obtaining new passports and maximum three weeks for renewal. We work within this schedule to enable us investigate any claims made by applicants and verify them, for the final document we issue them to have integrity.
“If there are challenges, wait, eventually you will get your passport before your due date of travel, if you apply early enough. You will still have long enough time to apply for visa and other travel documents.
“Nowhere in the world is passport administration done on wait-and-get basis except in extreme emergencies. The only wait-and-get passport is passport photograph,” Aregbesola stated.
On the new enhanced passport being rolled out in Ibadan, the Oyo tate capital, the minister noted that the passport is an improved document with high security features.
“The enhanced e-Passport is a great improvement on the Biometric Passport technology which Nigeria adopted in 2007 as a deliberate step towards curbing forgery, impersonation and other forms of travel document fraud, associated with the old Machine-Readable Passport regime.
“It is the latest technology in passport making anywhere in the world and only few countries have it. It is the most secure identity document ever produced. We are proud to make it available to Nigerians,” Aregbesola concluded.
He, however, said the facility will serve all the southwest states, which will also include Kwara state.
Also speaking at the event, Governor ‘Seyi Makinde, who was represented by his Chief of Staff, Mr. Segun Ogunwuyi, lauded the efforts of the Nigeria Immigration Service, saying the state will continue to support the service in performing its statutory duty.
Ogunwuyi also stated that the Oyo state government will continue to collaborate with all federal government agencies, especially, Nigerian Immigration Service, as the agency is one of the key stakeholders in ensuring that Ibadan airport becomes an International one.
Also at the event were the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III; Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Saliu Adetunji represented by the Eekefa Balogun, Chief Sarafadeen Alli; service chiefs of all the paramilitary services in the state, amongst others.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has charged men of the Nigeria Immigration Service, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and Nigeria Correctional Service to be on high alert as miscreants may want to test the will of the Nigerian government, by attacking installations and facilities of the federal government.
Ogbeni Aregbesola said, “We are in the Yuletide period and I want to charge you all to be on high alert because miscreants may want to test the will of the federal republic of Nigeria under the able leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari.
“We have given instructions to your comptroller generals and they will communicate what you must do especially at this period.This period means from now till March of next year. Please take that instruction very serious.
“There must not be any breach of security in any of our institutions, facilities, organisations and installations and by this I’m referring to Nigeria Immigration Service, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and the Nigeria Correctional Service”, he said.
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