NIS: Introduction Of Enhanced E-Passport ‘ll Eliminate Corruption In South East

Posted by Ignatius Okpara Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria, News From The State Friday, March 4th, 2022

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – The Federal Government has said the enhanced electronic international passport (E-passport) and passport production centre in South-East will help in eliminating all forms of corruption in the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS).
Nigeria’s Minister of Interior Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, who stated this Thursday while Inaugurating the South- East enhanced e-passport complex said that the document had over 25 security features that distinguish it among other international passports in the world.
According to him, the state-of-the-art and technological-driven security features makes the E-passport virtually impossible to counterfeit or manipulate, adding that it would also help in eliminating corruption in NIS, including racketeering.
The former Osun state governor, noted that the enhanced e-passport, including its elaborate security features, was a major design of the Federal Government to check international passport racketeering and other forms of manipulations.
The Minister however, urged Nigerians “to fill their forms online, pay for it online and get their biometric capturing dates on online; by using their simple android phones within the comfort of their homes or offices.
He said: “Those days of asking people to help you do it or an immigration officer to assist passport applicants are over and this will help check racketeering, fraud and other manipulation in the system.
“With the enhanced e-passport, the Federal Government through the Ministry of Interior will eliminate corruption and racketeering in the system,” he said.
The minister said that for now, the electronic passport (e-passport) and the enhanced e-passport would be in existence side-by-side.
He said that there were over 250,000 processed and uncollected international passports throughout the country, adding that the ministry would help to meet the backlog of 14,021 passports in demand as at today.
“Between 2019 and now, Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has issued three million passports and just last year alone we issued 1.3 million passports. So, there is more need for our passport.
“The people of South-East travel a lot and the enhanced e-passport, with some of its categories in longer validity and pagination, would surely help the people of the zone meet their international travel needs,” he said.
On the passport production centre, the minister lauded President Muhammadu Buhari for his kind disposition to the ministry and NIS for providing the most sophisticated international passport production facility in the South-East domicile in Enugu.
Aregbesola further noted that the passport production facility would facilitate the ease and speed of getting passports in the zone, adding that it would not be more than six weeks for fresh applicants and three weeks for those applicants for renewal.
The minister, directed the Enugu State Command Controller of NIS Mr Joachim Olumba, to liaise with the state government to plant massive trees within the NIS complex in Enugu to safeguard the environment against harsh weather.
In his speech earlier, Acting Comptroller General of NIS Mr Isah Idris, explained that the introduction of enhanced e-passport was meant to transform the entire passport issuance and processing system as well as improve service delivery.
Idris said that enhanced e-passport is water-resistance, durable, user-friendly and highly technological compliant.
He noted that the enhanced e-passport comes in three categories: 32 pages with five years validity; 64 pages with five years validity and 64 pages with 10 years validity (only for adults above 18 years)
“Applicant’s National Identity Number (NIN) is a compulsory requirement for obtaining the enhanced e-passport,” he added.
Enugu State governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, in his remark appreciated President Buhari, the minister and NIS authorities for inaugurating the enhanced e-passport and passport production facility in Enugu.
Represented by the Secretary to the State Government SSG, Prof. Simon Ortuanya, Ugwuanyi said: “We sincerely believe that the enhanced e-passport will definitely eliminate corruption, bribery, manipulation and racketeering in the entire passport system.
“As a government, we are happy that the Federal Government through the ministry and NIS have kept faith and assurance of providing Nigerians and indeed the entire citizenry an enhanced e-passport we can be proud of.
“The state will continue to partner the NIS and the Federal Ministry of Interior to ensure that immigration services get to all,”
Speaking on behalf of his South East colleagues, Enugu Controller, of NIS Mr. Olumba thanked the federal government for making the facility a dream come through.
He called on residents of South East to take advantage of the Centre in procuring their international passports.