The Comptroller General of Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Muhammad Babandede, MFR has instructed all the passports offices across the country to give priorities to the aged and nursing mothers while attending to matters relating to issuance of passport with immediate effect.
He gave the order on Wednesday during an impromptu visit to the Headquarters of the NIS Passport Data processing Centre and Passport Office, Gwagwalada, Abuja.
According to the National Public Relations Officer of the NIS, Deputy Comptroller Sunday James in a statement he issued to the press, the CGI was at the centers to ascertain the level of compliance with directives given the passport officers nationwide on the Service enhanced service delivery process and procedures aimed at meeting the public expectation and satisfaction.
Babandede who visited the centres alongside the Assistant Comptroller General overseeing the Passport and other Travel Documents Directorate, ACG TV Oyedeji and Comptroller FCT Command, CIS Angela pcc, the Comptroller General Babandede directed the passport officers in the two offices to brace up as the major passport offices in the nation’s capital city.
He said that with the crowd the centers are attracting, there was need for the officers to be more innovative to women with little children and priority must be given to nursing mothers and the aged members of the society.
The Comptroller General also directed that all payments must be through banks and/or online and charged officers to maintain social and physical distance.
He said all passport issues must be submitted by applicants themselves and directly to a dedicated desk that takes register, record and forward the processed file officially not through any third party.
Babandede admonished applicants to adhere strictly to the improved Service process and procedures to eliminate touting, extortion and other untoward acts in the passport offices.
He said all applications for passport facility must be paid for online and submitted by the applicants to a desk officer at the passport offices across the country for appropriate action to be taken.
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