The Federal Government through the Ministry of Interior has declared the N5,000 “Compliance Fee” charged by some personnel of the Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS, in some Passport Offices to help applicants process their passports.
Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo made the declaration while responding to questions by Vanguard.
“Compliance fee? I am hearing it for the first time. We will plead with Nigerians to assist us to succeed. Do not pay compliance fee, if there is anything like that. Do not pay for your rights. There is nothing in the books that is compliance fee. Please, let us educate our people to know”, he stated.
On assumption of office, the minister had queried the long queues at the immigration passport offices, lamenting that the situation had become as if Nigerians were queuing for passports to heaven.
While he stressed the need to reduce the waiting period to get an international passport, the minister said even as a federal lawmaker and Chairman of the Committee on Niger Delta Development Commission NDDC, his own daughter waited for six months to get her passport, wondering what the fate of the average Nigerian would be.
“My daughter waited for six months to get her passport booklet. I was the House committee chairman on NDDC. I faced this, tell me what an average Nigerian would face. It is like we are waiting for a passport to heaven,” said Tunji-Ojo.
The minister also gave hints that in the very near future there would be a fast-track service for individuals who are ready to pay more.
Though, He noted that all security checks would equally be completed and passed as in the case of obtaining a regular passport.
So as not to sacrifice the generality of Nigerians in order to offer express service to a few financially buoyant individuals.
