750,000 Passport Applications: Nigerians Fleeing Your Govt, Aregbesola Told

Nigerians have told the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola that his claim of 750,000 passport applications in the year underlined the desperation of citizens to flee the bad government rendered by the Muhammadu Buhari administration.

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The Minister had disclosed that 625,000 passports had been issued this year out of the 750,000 applications during the rollout of the enhanced e-Passport for Delta and Edo States, which took place at the Passport Office Headquarters, Benin, Edo State on Tuesday.

This was contained in a statement by the Minister’s Media Adviser, Sola Fasure.

The statement partly read, “Our enhanced passport is the real deal in passport making. Today’s event is unique in many ways. The most important is making the enhanced e-Passport available to the good people of Edo and Delta States. The enhanced e-Passport comes in various categories, including the 64-page-10-year validity passport which is quite convenient for frequent travellers. It is a product of the latest technology in passport administration and issuance.

“This year alone, we have received about 750,000 applications out of which we have provided 625,000. The difference could have been due to many reasons, including failure of applicants to provide the correct information about themselves and matching their data with NIN. We could not contact them because they applied through touts who provided their own addresses or wrong ones altogether. But 625,000 is a huge and unprecedented figure, in less than half of the year, by any stretch of the imagination,” the Minister stated.

He also said the President was worried about the hassles Nigerians go through in securing the passports.

He said, “President Muhammadu Buhari’s charge to us is explicit. Make life easy as much as possible for every person you have to relate with and remove every hurdle hitherto in their way of getting business done.

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“I am asking therefore that the NIS do everything within its power to make this a thing of the past. Every Nigerian desirous of the travel document should be able to collect it within the stipulated time, without any stress whatsoever,” .

However, many Nigerians reacted to Aregbesola that the high rate of passport applications underlined how people are fleeing the country due to hardships.

See reactions:

@timotiro: If this stat does not scare the government and various stakeholders in this country then am afraid we’ve hit the rocks. Brain Drain everyday, some of our best minds are busy developing other countries all in the name of greener pastures because our government has failed us!

@metropelly: You guys will be left with no one to govern after we don japa finish

@ojlaw3: Is that an achievement? A passport is a citizen’s right so your announcement should be a shame on you and your ministry. It is only in Nigeria that one has to bribe an officer to get what is his or her right.

@abeskyakasmith: Highest in the history of this country bcoz of poor leadership made this country menace made people lost hope about this country?

@ademforchrist2008: Unfortunately, professionals and youths carried the major percentage. It’s worrisome and should be a National debate. Many are just waiting for Admission, they are prepared and waiting for it. These are the issues and not the banning of IPOB for now.

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