The federal government’s intervention to ease passport processing for Nigerians in the United Kingdom (UK) has gotten off to a rocky start, with applicants protesting alleged additional administrative fees and delays in processing applications.
Videos shared by social media users on Monday showed a crowd gathered outside a locked door believed to be the Nigerian Passport Intervention Centre in Manchester as they waited to gain entry.
“It is now 11:30 a.m., and people who arrived as early as 9:00 a.m. are still waiting, with nothing happening. This is not the way to treat Nigerians who have taken time off work, travelled long distances, and paid for passport services,” an X user posted.
“Please, we cannot continue doing things this way. We need proper planning, better organisation, clear communication, and an efficient system that respects people’s time and dignity. We must move away from the same old ways of doing things and organise these interventions properly.”
Another video reportedly recorded at the passport intervention centre showed a man asking a separate crowd of Nigerians to leave the premises.
According to social media posts, the man, who was said to be the owner of the lounge booked for the passport intervention in London, expressed anger over what he described as the “incompetence” of Nigerian authorities.
“We’re done for today, deal with the embassy, I can’t take it. Its unorganised, no security, no staff,” the man is heard saying.
An X user added that the man also called the police on the crowd.
“You successfully embarrassed us in front of the UK police & a Lebanese owner because of your incompetence. He said he hasn’t been paid, no staff, no security. 3 people attended to in 1 hour, it’s 2pm and just 12 people have been attended to. Shame @nigimmigration @BTOofficial,” the social media user said.
Nigerian immigration authorities were also accused of demanding £70 from citizens in passport intervention “administrative fees”.
FG RESPONDS, SAYS CONSULTATIONS ONGOING TO ADDRESS INCONVENIENCES
Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, minister of interior, said he was concerned about the inconvenience experienced by Nigerians in the UK regarding the passport intervention exercise.
In a statement issued on Monday by Alao Babatunde, special adviser to the minister on media and publicity, Tunji-Ojo also denied the requirement of administrative fees as allegedly demanded by officials.
“It is therefore necessary to clarify that this process does not come with extra cost different from the official fees of $150 and $230 for a five-year and ten-year validity passports respectively, exclusive of bank charges,” the statement reads.
“Neither the Ministry of Interior nor the Nigeria Immigration Service has introduced any other charges outside the aforementioned.”
He noted that consultations are ongoing with the ministry of foreign affairs to ensure that inconveniences do not persist any longer.
The intervention, scheduled to run from September 7 to 19, was launched last month to clear backlogs involving new passport applications, renewals and pending cases.