A security expert, Mark Chidozie, has hailed the introduction of the cashless policy by the passport controller of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Ikoyi, Lagos, Manir Yari. According to him, it has helped in edging out touts and preventing unscrupulous officers from extorting money from applicants.
He commended the PCO for the reformation in the service, taking measures to ensure a consistent supply of passport booklets and stated that passports are now produced within a period of three days.
He said: “It was in line with this that the Comptroller-GeneraI of Immigration Service (CGI), Mohammed Babandade, officially launched the use of POS platform in Ikoyi in July for passport fee payment.
This is working perfectly well as money no longer changes hands with touts and unscrupulous officers who connive with them. It now takes less than three days for an applicant without issues in his or her file to procure an international passport.
“In the past, a large number of persons have seen clustering around the Passport Control Officers’ office, but the reverse is now the case due to the ingenuity of the PCO and his boss, Muhammad Babandede.
Yari has won the heart of many applicants but is facing the wrath of a few unscrupulous immigration elements whose stock in trade is to extort passport customers through delay tactics in procuring a passport.
“Already, the introduction of passport with 10 years validity, which was one of the promises made by the CGI would soon take off. It now takes less than three days for an applicant without issues in his or her file to procure an international passport.
“Upon assumption of office, some of the challenges he met on the ground where a backlog of files, which had been lying unattended to for several months.
The challenges faced by the immigration unit were not limited to the epileptic power supply, influx of touts and extortionists and poor channels of tackling complaints. One of the major challenges, however, was the epileptic power supply. In the past, the office had no electricity at all as the power distribution company had cut electricity for several months, leaving the office at the mercy of generators.”
Expressing joy at the ongoing reformation process the unit was undergoing, a female senior officer in one of the offices said they have been receiving commendations from numerous applicants.
