Problem Of Issuance, Renewal Of Passports To Be Probed By Senate

The committee was also asked to probe the contract for the printing of passport booklets.  It has 14 days to turn in its report.

The resolution followed the adoption of a motion on the “Delay in issuance, renewal of Nigeria’s international passport” sponsored by Senator Uche Ekwunife (Anambra Central).

Ekwunife, in her lead debate, said the delay in the issuance and renewal of passports by NIS was causing untold hardship for Nigerians.

She described a passport as an official identity document, issued to Nigerians for the purpose of travelling out or coming into the country.

The Senator lamented that many Nigerians, especially students, find it extremely difficult to get passports in spite of the six-week timeline set by the Federal Government a year ago.

Passport issuance procedure got more complicated and became worse after the Ministry of Interior started it reform of the process.

According to Ekwunife, currently, new applicants and those seeking the renewal of their expired passports spend between three and six months waiting for a response from NIS and Nigerian embassies.

She explained that it takes five to eight weeks for an applicant to be invited for biometric capturing by NIS   and another four months for a passport to be issued.

Credit: thenationonlineng.net