The Ondo State Command of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS ) has strongly refuted and as well condemned the allegations of discriminatory efforts practices and extortion against it by the so -call applicants who by one way or the other tried to tarnish the good image of the agency.
In an exclusive interview conducted on the Passport Control Officer of the agency, PCO Mrs Modupe Maku by GermaneReporters GR on Friday said all the allegations were ruse and baseless which should be thrown into the thin air for so many reasons.
She appreciated Hon Bunmi Tunji Ojo for the brilliant initiatives he introduced into the system which officers only attend to applicants during capturing of passports after payments have been made online and you come to present evidence of payment,then two weeks after, you come for collection saying such allegations should not be taken seriously but rather disregarded.
She said again that, the payment for passport is basically done online , and to the account of the Federal Government, asking how the word and allegation of “extortion” came into being
” I was not actually moved when we saw the news of the extortion , you don’t pay to us but rather on the internet ” she said
“We only confirm your payment through the receipt and check out system if indeed you have paid and the original owner of the photograph you submitted online” Maku affirmed
She therefore urged members of the public to disregard such report and the so call” applicants” who have forwarded such malicious story to the press.
While addressing journalists on the issue, Maku said many passports are lying fallow begging for collection from the owners who have refused to show -up for collection using the medium to appeal to the owners to come forth for their passports.
In his response, the Comptroller of the agency in Ondo state, Mr. Ambrose Akinrinsola who took journalists round the passport section said , the issuance is just two weeks after application,that the Hon Minister ,Dr Bunmi Tunji Ojo has done tremendously well in making sure that , passport application is done at everybody’s palm and ready for collection within the space of 14 days.
He went round with the journalists from the provost post to the capturing room were the passports will be collected after two weeks of capturing.
The PCO later urged members of the public to see the allegations as baseless, malicious, and aimed at sowing the seeds of discord between members of the public and the officers of the agency
” Nothing like discrimination against individuals irrespective of where he or she is coming from as long as such individual is a Nigerian”
She reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to the service of the people and of the Nation in general that the state command will not fail in it’s duty to humanity
She therefore concluded that the statement issued by the so -call applicants , misleading and a misrepresentation of the facts.
