The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) says it has introduced
a tracking system to improve the process of issuance and collection of
passports.
Isah Jere Idris, acting comptroller-general, NIS, disclosed
this on Saturday at a virtual media briefing.
In a statement, Idris said the system will allow applicants
to track the status of their passports remotely, thereby reducing physical
visits to NIS offices.
He added that NIS will also introduce a new system for the
national identity number (NIN) validation.
“As part of the
efforts to improve the process of issuance and collection of passports, the NIS
has introduced a passport tracking system. With the system, applicants can now
trace the status of their passports from the comfort of their homes,” he said.
“Within the next four weeks, NIS will deploy a new system
that will enable applicants to validate their national identity numbers before
they can proceed to make payment for passports online and to book appointments
for capturing.”
Idris said applicants can log on to
www.track.immigration.gov.ng and upload their details, adding that the “system
is already in place and Nigerians should take advantage of it”.
Speaking on issues related to passport issuance, he lamented
the increasing number of Nigerians seeking override of the newly introduced
appointment system for passport issuance, describing it as an abuse of the
system.
According to him, the appointment system was introduced to
reduce physical interface with personnel, overcrowding and arbitrariness, which
he said have all consistently combined to promote corruption and abuse.
He decried attempts by many Nigerians “seeking to jump the
process by turning in myriads of requests for waiver for all conceivable
reasons”, rather than wait for the appointment date for capturing.
He added that the NIS, based on the directive of Rauf
Aregbesola, minister of interior, has tried to ensure “compliance” with the
three-week duration for passport renewal and six-week duration for new
applications.
Explaining reasons for delay in the processing of passport
applications, Idris said it could be as a result of the integration of data
between NIS and the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), which also
in turn integrates with the BVN data of applicants.
He said the single data integration policy of the government
was aimed at enhancing the nation’s security architecture to protect the
identity of Nigerians.
“Apart from this, because passports confer on holders the
integrity of a nation, the integrity of producing such documents should also
not be compromised,” he added.
“So, we must verify the addresses of the applicants and
there is a company that already does that for us. We must confirm the
authenticity of the claims before we proceed for production.”
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