The Minister of Interior in Nigeria, Dr Tunji-Ojo, has criticised immigration officials attached to the passport office in Abuja over inefficiency, poor attitude to work, and prolonged waiting time faced by Nigerian applicants of international passports seeking services.
Speaking during an unscheduled visit to the facility, the minister expressed displeasure that by 10 a.m. only seven applicants had been attended to, despite the fact that enrolment takes about three minutes per person.
He noted that although the official resumption time is 8 a.m., most officials only began work at 10 am.
He also faulted the operation of the VIP section, which he said was idle at the time of his visit, while applicants in the regular section were overcrowded and personnel there were overwhelmed.
According to him, there was no justification for keeping the VIP section inactive when it could be used to reduce pressure on the common section and shorten waiting time for applicants.
“It will not cost you anything if you allow common people to be attended to at the VIP section in order to save their time,” he said.
The minister further condemned the work process at the centre, where officers responsible for capturing applicants’ details worked separately from enrolment officers, rather than simultaneously.
He directed that both processes should be carried out at the same time to improve efficiency.
He reminded the officials that applicants had other commitments and should not be subjected to unnecessary delays, describing the attitude of the officers as unacceptable.
“You should work for the people. I am not impressed with the way you work,” he said, urging them to serve Nigerians diligently and with a sense of responsibility.
