By Julius Alabi, Akure
Despite the myriad of challenges facing Nigeria, a legal luminary, Ademola Williams has said that the country still has the prospect and potential to be great following the achievement by the Federal government on seamless procurement of the country’s passport.
According to him, the pains in getting Nigerian passport has been a thing of the past saying that the Minister of Interior, Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo should be commended for his efforts in ensuring seamless and efficient passport processing system.
Williams in a statement today titled: “Nigeria Shall Be Great: My Passport Office Experience,” said that considering our socio- political antecedents coupled with our prevailing economic hardship, only few Nigerians have an iota of hope in the country as an entity, but his attempt at renewing his Nigerian passport seems to be proving wrong the skeptics in the hopefulness of the country’s road to greatness, where the system works.
He went on: “Having heard in the news the unsual effort of the current Minister of Interior, Mr. Tunji Ojo toward a seemless processing of the Nigerian passport online, I decided to test the workability or possibity of the process. Consequently, I applied and effected payment of the relevant fees online. Within few days, I was given an appointment for “capturing” Obviously, this escalated my curiousity in the workability of this new system.
“However, my curiousity faded into reality this morning when i arrived the Alausa office of the Nigerian Immigration Service around 9.35am. As soon as I arrived the premises, as directed by a friend, I went to the office of the Passport Conrol Officer(PCO). Surprisinly, however, the Immigration officer I met there, attended to me quite politely. He told me there was no need appproaching the PCO, since I applied online. More surprisingly, he collected my papers led me to the relevant office where my application was approved within few munutes.
“And within few minutes again, the process was completes seemlessly, without any strings attached .That is, No “egunje”, No ” something for the boys” No “processing fee” and “No Nigerian factor” whatsoever. In fact, I never knew any of the Immigration Officers who attended to me in the whole procees, which lasted about twenty-five minutes. Immediately I was given 11/03/2024 for collection of my passport. Quite undoutedly, for the first time, I was elated as a Nigerian.
“And my hope in our collective project called NIGERIA, is strenghened. It is a function of visionary and selfless leadership. It is against this backdrop I dove my cap for the Minister of Interior, Mr. Tunji Ojo and the Comptroller General of Immigration with her entire team. With men and women of integrity who are willing to replicate this my “Passport Office Experience” Nigria shall be great”, Williams added.
