THE AFRICAN COURIER. Reporting Africa and its Diaspora! The African Courier is an international magazine published in Germany to report on Africa and the Diaspora African experience. The first issue of the bimonthly magazine appeared on the newsstands on 15 February 1998. The African Courier is a communication forum for European-African political, economic and cultural exchanges, and a voice for Africa in Europe.
Nigeria’s new Minister of Interior, Bunmi Tunji-Ojo, has criticized the delays experienced by Nigerians to obtain their passports.
According to him, Nigerians should not be made to wait endlessly before getting their passports.
He has therefore directed the acting Comptroller General of the Immigration, Caroline Wuraola Adepoju, to ensure the reasons for the delays were addressed.
Tunji-Ojo said this on Tuesday during a meeting with the heads of paramilitary organisations under the ministry as well as other stakeholders.
He said, “Mr President is desirous of bringing in key reforms in our immigration policy, immigration service; a lot of reforms in terms of keeping Nigerians waiting to get their passports. Nigerians cannot be made to wait endlessly for what is their rights. We have to look at the bottleneck.
“We have to collaborate with the Service and make sure that we unburden those bottlenecks and make the Service more to the benefit of the people. Immigration service, you have to do more. We are ready to work. We have to roll up our sleeves and work.”
Nigerians both home and abroad have been experiencing delays in obtaining passports, causing many untold hardship. The new minister’s vow to address the root causes of the delay would definitely gladden the hearts of Nigerians.
Kola Tella
