APPLICANTS who applied for passports at the Ikoyi Passport Office Lagos are set to start getting their documents after a directive emanated from the acting Comptroller General of Immigration (Ag. CGI), Isah Jere Idris ordering a special Task Force to proceed to area to clear all existing backlog of applications within a week.
The Team has arrived Ikoyi Lagos and commenced the clearance exercise to ensure that all outstanding Passport applications.
A statement signed by Service Public Relations Officer Assistant Comptroller of Immigration (ACI)Amos Okpu mnipr stressed that the ag CGI assured passport applicants who have been enrolled into the passport system in Ikoyi that the team will commence issuance of notifications for collection to applicants whose passports are ready.
He also promised that some drastic changes will be made in the station to improve the quality of service delivery.
It would be recalled that upon assumption of Office, the acting Comptroller General has promised to deepen the Passport issuance reform efforts to ensure seamless Passport issuance processes across Issuing Centres.
The acting Comptroller General also appealed to prospective passport applicants to endeavor to visit the Service’s website immigration.gov.ng to apply and make payment for the Passport categories of their choice and avoid patronizing anybody who would request them to make any cash payments for Passports.
Also speaking recently, Assistant Comptroller General,Nigeria Immigration Service Zone A, Mrs. A. O Talabi also advised Nigerians that Lagos has a spread and that was why the service saw it fit to have the highest number of passport office in the state with one at Ikoyi, Alausa and Festac to enable people go to different areas to get their document.
She explained that because of the population Lagos has the highest passport offices while Kano comes second stressing that it was very capital intensive to have these passport offices but Lagos was needed because of its population.
” We are trying to tell intending applicants that there are other passport offices apart from the Ikoyi Office like in Alausa where those who stay around that environment can visit and apply and Festac too where people around can do the same. We are trying to make this as convenient as possible for applicants but it is expensive to set up a passport processing and issuance centres