PASSPORT APPLICANTS CALL FOR ADDITIONAL COLLECTION POINTS

By NBF NEWS

Passport applicants on Tuesday called for additional collection points to reduce the congestion at the Ikoyi office, in Lagos.

Some of the applicants, who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria, said that one collection point could not serve the large number of applicants who came to process their passports.

NAN also reports that the roll call point which has two collection points at the general collection section cannot meet the influx of passport applicants despite the efforts of the officials.

NAN observed that not less than 800 passport applicants at the Ikoyi office waited impatiently to collect their processed passport booklets from only one roll call point.

NAN also reports that there are two collection points reserved for VIPs and the children categories.

One of the applicants, Mr. Charles Nwankwo, a business man, told NAN that to reduce the congestion, there should be improved communication gadgets for the officials.

Nwankwo added that the official in charge of calling the people on the roll needed to magnify his voice.

He said the officials calling out names needed a microphone to reach out to the large number of applicants, who became rowdy and impatient when there were delays in inviting them for collection.

“The officials are human and would need to magnify their voice because of the congestion of people since the ordinary voice cannot get to the applicants, who become rowdy, “ he said

The Comptroller of Immigration, Lagos Command Mr. Ayotunde Oredipe earlier told NAN that the logistics involved in the location of the passport office was exclusive.

He explained that the issue of expansion was been considered but we have advised applicants to decentralize their concentration from the Ikoyi to the Festac office.