The Federal Government has announced that more data capturing and application centres would be opened across the six geopolitical zones by the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) to ease passport issuance.
The government said it was aware of the difficulties faced by Nigerians at home and abroad to procure passport booklets, stressing that measures have been taken to address the challenges.
The Minister of Interior Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, who stated this, urged Nigerians to desist from patronising touts to obtain passports.
He also said given the current security outlooks of the country, it has become imperative for Nigerians to show understanding and cooperation with the government to address terrorism and other security problems.
Aregbesola spoke while granting audience in Abuja to a delegation of the Executive members of the Nigeria Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) led by its President Mallam Muktar Subair Sirajo.
The Minister assured Nigerians everything is being done to curtail insurgency and all forms of terror in the country, stressing Nigerians need to know that terrorists in the North East are fleeing the zones because of the superior fire power of the military.
He noted that they are being seriously degraded in the Northeast thus their visibilities in other places, assuring that the government would take all necessary steps to arrest the situation.
He appealed for cooperation in terms of reporting any information capable of jeopardising citizen’s wellbeing or breach of peace to the nearest security agencies around them be it NSDC, FRSC, SSS POLICE etc.
“Don’t keep any secret information about security to yourself, report to the nearby security agencies, ” Aregbesola said.
A statement signed by the Deputy Director of Press in the Ministry, Afonja Ajibola, quoted Aregbesola as saying that government would do all that is necessary to bring sanity to the issuance and renewal of passport.
According to him Citizens should visit the Immigration Service Portal to register online for issuance of passport saying the process is not only seamless while avoidance of face- to- face contact of the new scheme is geared towards enhancing transparency and corruption elimination.
He equally warned members of the Public to stop patronising touts or uniformed officers in processing their passports because their actions are illegal, unwarranted as they are only interested in making money out of the people.
President of the Institute, Muktar Sirajo has said the NIPR was in the Ministry to seek collaboration and partnership in view of the revolutionary changes and giant strides being made by present administration through the Ministry and its agencies.
