Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, expressed his disapproval when questioned by Vanguard.
"Compliance fee? I am hearing it for the first time. We will plead with Nigerians to assist us to succeed. Do not pay compliance fee, if there is anything like that. Do not pay for your rights. There is nothing in the books that is compliance fee. Please, let us educate our people to know," he firmly stated.
Upon assuming office, the minister had raised concerns about the long queues at immigration passport offices, describing the situation as though Nigerians were queuing for passports to heaven. He emphasized the need to reduce the waiting period for obtaining an international passport.
Even as a federal lawmaker and Chairman of the Committee on Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), he shared that his own daughter had to wait six months to obtain her passport, raising questions about the challenges faced by the average Nigerian.
His predecessor, Rauf Aregbesola had set a three-week timeline for passport renewals and a six-week timeline for fresh applications. However, as of September 2023, there were over 204,000 unprocessed applications.
Acting Comptroller General of Immigration, Caroline Wuraola-Adepoju attributed the backlog to the surge in applications since 2021, driven by the desire of young Nigerians to emigrate, a phenomenon known as the "Japa Syndrome."
Tunji-Ojo hinted at the possibility of introducing a fast-track service with an associated fee for urgent document needs in the future. However, he stressed that security vetting and meeting the needs of all Nigerians would not be sacrificed to expedite services for a select few financially well-off individuals.
