The issue of International Passport Processing and delay will continue to remain sacrosanct so long as the hidden monsters and challenges persists. conferences, seminars, stakeholders meetings, internal mechanism all have been disseminated informations to no avail.
Therefore, this discourse remain sacrosanct to address the Monsters of International Passport Processing and delay, while we should rightly appraise the issuer for efforts render to address same.
Clear observation of visiting Passport Processing Offices across the country was a delight to this media. Some International Passport Processing Offices across the country has been highlighted as a notorious site to procure such but in cause of the line of duty, the discovery of passport processing delay and regimented efforts by this service centers where more than enough to give kudos with the energy sapped into the fulfilment of certain merits in discharge of duties.
The Immigration service centre that pride itself with mission “to strengthen the security and prosperity of Nigeria through proactive border security and immigration management”. However, it’s professional to ensure if those words were mere lines or something to be taken seriously. In line of duty, the discovery were puzzling.
What’s International Passport
International passports are identification documents that are issued by a government or governing authority. The purpose of an international passport is to certify the identity and citizenship of an individual, and to facilitate the movement of people between different countries. If the suggestive definition is acceptable it’s the civility of citizens to have it without rancour .
Then part of the subjects of discourse is what are the reasons people are not in possession of it or why is it a hydra monster to get it. Many of the reasons people gives is writing off the Nigeria immigration services for ineptitude or gross inefficiency on the service part. This is why media attention must be handy to ensure the people are educated enough to know why issues of delay on service delivery will remain consistent.
Aiyekooto Reporters correspondent visited certain service centers and can finally reports on spot analysis.
The society pride itself with having international Passports as a result of basic requirements for different purposes. The Banks require it as a legal document of identifications , international students need it as a legal document for procurement of entry point to the country or school prerequisites, Sport men or women across the globe among others.
It’s needed for traveling outside states or country as the need arises.
If the needs are so enormous and urgently needed why do we have backlog of estimated 0ne hundred and fifty thousands (150,000) international Passports awaiting collections across the country. It’s puzzling to agree that such applicants lack the integrity of the use of it. While some is either expired or near it.
The remote cause according to authoritative source, some applicants started the process and had cause to travel to other African countries by sea or desert and abandoned their passports, while some others left the agents processing the passports and moved on to another agent. Hence, such processed International Passports will be abandoned.
The issue of identity fraud is one area that the hydra monster of delay has find it’s rhymes. Some people travel with other people’s documents and now they want to get a new passport. When they go to a Nigerian embassy wherever they are and put their fingerprints, the system will automatically reject their applications. They do not understand the idea of the e-passport. This is because the system will indicate that you are showing up as a new person instead of someone who registered before.
“So, when this happens, they feel they are being delayed. It is in the process of producing these passports that they find out that the Automated Fingerprint Integrated System has rejected them. This is because the owners have had passports before and they did not disclose it and they come to get another one, possibly with another name or information, and it is only when they have finished the front office process and gone away that the service centre go to the back end and find out that the system says the applicant is fake.”
The issue of fake identity is rampant and can only be curb when precautions of enlightenment is taking seriously. A third party is usually the problem. Most Nigerians are born twice and with fake names. Agents are given the attention instead of going through the standard procedures. So the information given by these agents do not tally with the original. Therefore it becomes an issues that’s counter production to process with ease.
Alot of enlightenment campaign by the Nigeria Immigration Service NIS has been put in place but the dividends are yet to materialize. Some immigration officers has been sacked, disciplined for rendering unprofessional services, in trying to figure out the perennial problems therefore it’s a reform that charity begins at home.
Parental Conflicts are causes for delay. When issue of petitions, subject to litigations are not resolved definitely the Service centers cannot do otherwise. There are due process to follow and adoption of children, perfecting documentations require due process. If not , it backfire and going to be delay to process such International Passport. Unfortunately, most Nigerians guard their secrets jealously out of pride until unravel by diligent officers these really stressed out delay. Some are into child trafficking and the implication effects is to fake identity , the challenges are enormous wings for delay.
The influx of people to major Passport Processing Offices are also issues to contend with, some school of thought, beliefs that major offices will aid procurement of visas but that’s untrue. however, while collection in Lagos may take a little longer than in other states as a result of the population, states like Enugu, Owerri, Anambra, Jigawa, Sokoto, and Adamawa take between two days to one week for collection after capture.
Therefore, International Passports delay remains sacrosanct if there’s no reconciliation between National Identification Numbers (NIN) and National Immigration Service (NIS) data base, there must be same information data computerize. For instance whatever information input into the system must correspond with one another. If Ahmed Tijani Yusuf is inputted into NIN data system, and in procurement of international Passports it reads Ahmed T. Yusuf the NIS system will nullify and return as fake. Also if the date of birth is 4:09:1968 and ignorantly input 09:04:1968 it will be rejected . Both are not same , it’s fake identity. Therefore, one must remain sacrosanct in dishing out authentic data information.
Therefore, passport delay is majorly cause by the applicants who has little understanding or lack the education needed, giving out to quacks or third parties in other to cut corners is detrimental to services delivery. It’s therefore important to put the aforementioned precautions into cognizance.
The Nigeria Immigration Service is doing it best to ensure the reform is enduring. A visit to Ikoyi Passport office is a confirmation of the reform instituted by the service headquarters Abuja.
