Reps Knock Production Of Nigeria Passport Outside Country

The House of Representatives has condemned in its entirety, the practice of producing Nigeria passports outside the shores of the country describing it as absurd especially in the face of insecurity.

The House noted that the security features in the Nigerian passport should be guarded, stressing that a private firm printing the passport outside the country is questionable and unwarranted.

The Vice Chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Hon. Timehin Adelegbe, who was speaking during a Public Hearing on incessant Malpractices Associated with Diplomatic Postings and Deliberate Draining of Resources, said most Nigerians were not happy with the process and collection of passports hence it is time the issue was taken seriously and addressed.

In his welcome address, the Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila said he has travelled far and wide but never witnessed such embarrassing stories in those country’s missions adding however that it is not the intention of the House to single out any individual or group, or punitive action as a matter of politics.

Responding, the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Alhaji Mohammed Babandede who said Nigeria has forty seven diplomatic missions across the world, disclosed it is his desire to get Nigerian passports produced in the country but explained that officers are only saddled with issuing visas and handling traveling documents.

Reacting to allegations of nepotism in NIS foreign posting, Alhaji Babandede said officers often go the extra mile to lobby their way as they consider such postings lucrative.

The NIS boss, however said on assumption of office, he embraced transparency on foreign postings as 50 per cent is reserved for officers who attended training school and 10 per cent for those who received awards.

In his own remarks, the Chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Hon. Yusuf Buba Yakub noted that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs remained the first mirror through which the world sees Nigeria therefore, whatever happens there must be of concern to all.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Geoffrey Onyema, blamed the social media for some of the adverse reports about Nigeria’s foreign missions, adding that most of such stories are often false.