By Nurat Uthman
The Minister of Interior, Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has instructed the Acting Comptroller General of Immigration, Adepoju Carol Wura-Ola, to find ways to alleviate congestion at passport collection centers.
The Minister emphasized that the administration of President Bola Tinubu will not tolerate excuses or long queues at Passport Offices.
The Minister also urged the heads of the service arms of the ministry to back up their words with action, as the country is in a critical state and in desperate need of transformation. He expressed that the President is interested in tangible results, not excuses.
In a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Minister, Babatunde Alao, it was revealed that Dr. Tunji-Ojo gave this directive during a briefing with the Acting Comptroller General of Immigration, Adepoju Carol Wura-Ola, and the Controller General of the Nigerian Correctional Service, Haliru Nababa, on Tuesday.
“I have just come from a meeting with the President. He is not interested in excuses. We must work and deliver. Anyone who cannot contribute to Nigeria’s progress must be removed because we have the potential to be great,” he stated.
“Let me know the challenges you face. I am here to help you solve them. When you solve them and achieve success, I also succeed. The time for talking is over. So, save your words. Let’s focus on finding solutions.
“Nigerians should not have to wait in endless queues to obtain passports. No, this must end. This is not the Nigeria we dream of. I need to understand the challenges the agency is facing.
“We must all come together and utilize our expertise to resolve them. Nigerians will hold us accountable for our promises. If we have officers who are not ready for this demanding process, we will replace them.”
The Minister reminded the agency heads that the new administration is not interested in mere discussions and presentations, but in taking action to deliver value and progress.
“Discussions have not gotten us anywhere as a nation. We must get it right. The Ministry of Interior is the core of any nation. I want you to go back to your offices and develop action plans. It is my responsibility to ensure the ministry is functioning.”
Dr. Tunji-Ojo also emphasized the importance of utilizing technology to improve efficiency and accuracy in the immigration and correctional services.
The Minister highlighted that implementing advanced technological solutions could significantly reduce delays and streamline the handling of crucial challenges.
“Technology has the potential to revolutionize our immigration and correctional systems, making them more agile and responsive. All I care, we need to embrace innovation and find ways to overcome the current challenges that often lead to bottlenecks in our processes. Our country is a great and important country. Let us live up to expectations.”
