The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has expressed dissatisfaction with operations at the VIP and Children section of a passport office after observing long delays despite the office being scheduled to begin work earlier in the day. During his inspection, he interacted with both officials and applicants, questioning why many people were still waiting hours after opening time.
Applicants used the opportunity to share their experiences, prompting the minister to warn officials against collecting any money outside approved passport fees. He stressed that Nigerians had already paid in full for passport services and should not be asked to contribute for items such as diesel or paper.
Tunji-Ojo noted that only a small number of applicants had been attended to several hours after the office opened, even though the section was meant to handle fast-track services. He emphasized that efficiency was a core responsibility of the office, pointing out that applicants were already waiting downstairs and deserved prompt attention.
Questioning the pace of work, the minister calculated that enrolment should take only a few minutes per applicant and expressed concern that the slow process could not be justified. Immigration officers explained that although the office was meant to open by 8am, operations only began around 9am after the generator was powered on.
The minister also criticized the method of enrolling all applicants before starting biometric capturing, insisting that both processes should run at the same time to cut down waiting periods. He reminded officials that many applicants had work and other commitments and should not be kept waiting unnecessarily.
Describing the delays as unacceptable, Tunji-Ojo stressed that wasting applicants’ time went against the principles of effective public service. He further pointed out that the VIP and Children section was underused and could have helped reduce congestion by accommodating applicants from other sections.
Reiterating his stance on fairness and dedication, the minister stated that public service was about sacrifice and service to the people, adding that no group should be treated as more important than others. He concluded by urging passport offices nationwide to uphold efficiency, transparency, and respect for citizens’ time.
