The Federal Government has begun moves to review the visa policy of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) and the passport recent passport policy introduced by the last administration to reduce challenges and ease the passport process.

Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, made this known while briefing the press on progress made to assuage the sufferings of the public in accessing Nigeria’s international passport yesterday in Abuja.

He said the government has set up a committee under the chairmanship of the Permanent Secretary in the ministry and the Director of Joint Services as the secretary of the committee, while the Comptroller General of the NIS and other stakeholders are members.

“The Committee’s responsibility is to review our current visa and passport policy because Nigeria is not thrash and cannot be treated as such, it is unacceptable.

“Visa is based on reciprocity everywhere in the world, even by international conventions, and that is why we are seriously looking at this our Visa on arrival policy.

“There is no point somebody who does not allow me into his country based on Visa on arrival, comes here on Visa on arrival and comes to Nigeria and gets the services I don’t have in his country; I don’t think it is the right thing do. We have a commitment in place already and they have two more weeks to submit their report to me to help us review the policy, the minister said.

Giving an update on the status if clearance of backlog passports, the minister said said so far, out of a total of 204, 332 backlog passport applications,

“The issue of passport shouldn’t be a privilege but a right of every Nigerian. Visa is a privilege, but passport is a right and we are glad to be able to hand back the right of the people to the people of Nigeria.

“When we came, we inherited a backlog of 204, 332 passports (enrollment, applications), we gave a marching order and by October 1st, we have cleared all the 204, 332 backlogs

“On the 7th of September, we promised to sort out the backlog in two weeks. I apologise to Nigerians first if all that we made it in three weeks and we are grateful for where we are today,” he explained.

On the issue of immigration officers collecting N5, 000 from applicants as compliance fee is illegal and no Nigerian must pay that.

He said anyone being extorted or made to pay any illegal fee by any immigration officer should reach out to his office complaint desk at 08023753414. (The Guardian)

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