Tunji-Ojo decries passport issuance delay, to deploy tech to protect borders
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Interior Minister Bunmi Tunji-Ojo is not happy about the endless delays in the issuance of passports and has directed acting Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) Comptroller General Carol Wura-Ola to remove hiccups once and for all.
Tunji-Ojo disclosed this during a meeting with the heads of paramilitary organisations under the ministry and other stakeholders.
“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 bottlenecks,” he said.
“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.”
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Deployment of technology to borders
Tunji-Ojo announced technology would be deployed to secure the borders to complement human capacity, according to The PUNCH.
“We need to secure our borders and we need to ensure that all borders, whether land, air, or our sea borders, are all protected.
“We have to employ technology to complement and consolidate what you are already doing because I know you’re already doing some things, but we need to move at a faster pace and make sure we secure our territory as a nation.
“I want to beg you, do not disappoint me because I need to build on your performance for us to be able to deliver the Renewed Hope agenda.”
He said key performance indicators (KPIs) would be used to assess staff and heads of paramilitary agencies under the ministry.
“There must be timelines and key performance indicators because responsibility without accountability is irresponsibility.”