Passport processing to be fully automated in Oyo – Interior Minister

In a bid to ensure better service delivery and eliminate all forms of touting and official meddlesomeness in passport issuance, Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has assured full automation of all the passport application processes.

According to a statement signed by the Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Immigration Service, Amos Okpu, the Minister gave the assurance on Monday while launching the enhanced electronic Passport facility in the ancient city of Ibadan, Oyo State.

The enhanced Passport is an improvement of the current Passport with additional 25 security features. It comes in polycarbonate technology with a water-resistant data page. It is the latest technology in Passport issuance.

The Minister said, it has become necessary to ensure that application and payments processes for Passport are migrated to digital platforms to eliminate any form of unprofessional conducts in the process.

He said the central aim of the reform efforts is to sustain the integrity of the Passport and the holders among comity of nations.

Ogbeni Aregbesola reiterated his Ministry’s resolve to eliminate all manner of sharp practices through the deployment of online application and payment processes while calling on applicants to make conscious efforts to abide by the laid down procedures.

Speaking earlier, the acting Comptroller General of Immigration, Isah Jere Idris noted that the deepening of the ongoing Passport reform efforts is one of the three-point agenda of his administration.

He assured that all measures are in place to ensuring that eligible Passport applicants get issued with the document easily.

The acting Comptroller General also reaffirmed the Service’s commitment to the timeline of six and three weeks to process fresh and renewal applications respectively in all its Issuing Centres.

He advised applicants to endeavour to turn in their applications on time to avoid last minute rush which often encourages sharp practices.

Speaking on the Commissioning of the enhanced electronic Passport Production Centre, he said, it will serve as the central Passport production facility for all the Passport Control Offices in Ondo, Osun, Ekiti, Kwara and Oyo adding that all Passport applications from any of these locations shall be electronically transmitted to the Ibadan Centre for mass production. This he said, will save time and unnecessary waste of resources as well as improve the transparency of the entire process.

Also, the Governor of Oyo State, Engr. Oluseyi Abiodun Makinde, represented by the Chief of Staff, Segun Ogunwuyi assured of continuous government’s support for the activities of the Immigration Service in the State.

With the unveiling of the enhanced electronic Passport and the centralized Production Centre in Ibadan, all the States in the South-West including Kwara have joined the rest of Kano, Port Harcourt, Lagos, Abuja, London, Gwagwalada among others on the enhanced electronic Passport regime.

The event has in attendance, notable personalities including the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III, the Olu Ibadan of Ibadanland, Oba Saliu Adetunji represented by Oloye Sarafadeen Alli, representatives of military, paramilitary and security agencies in the State among others.