The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, carried out an unannounced visit to the Nigerian Immigration Service passport office in Gwagwalada, Abuja, on Tuesday.
During his visit, Tunji-Ojo criticised delays in passport processing and warned applicants not to make extra payments.
The minister inspected operations at the VIP and Children section of the passport office and engaged both officials and applicants, questioning why applicants were still waiting long after the office was expected to commence operations.
During the visit, Tunji-Ojo got feedback from applicants and cautioned them against paying money outside official fees, insisting that Nigerians had already paid fully for passport services.
“I don’t want to hear that you are collecting money for diesel or paper.
“Nigerians have paid for their passports completely. Serve them diligently,” the Minister said.
He expressed displeasure that only a few applicants had been attended to hours after opening time, despite the section being designated for expedited services.
“So it means that by 9:30am, I expect to see at least one or two applicants here. Because I can see some people waiting downstairs, and our responsibility is to be efficient,” the minister said.