Ibe Pascal, OWERRI
Barr. Okey Ezeugwu, the immigration Controller-General in Imo has stated that the price for passport processing is bellow N20,000
Ezeugwu also blamed high rate of extortion on hasty applicants.
The immigration Chief in Imo disclosed these when our correspondent paid a courtesy visit to the command in Owerri.
Recall that a lot of scandalous corruption has been trending in the passport office of the immigration service in Owerri such that Imo applicants choose to go to other states to obtain their passports and other travel documents at cheaper rates and faster too.
Investigations revealed that there is a syndicate allegedly colluding with some officials of the passport or Immigration department acting as middlemen in the passport racketeering. This group hike the procurement of international passport to as high as N80,000 –N100, 000 instead of the statutory fee of N40,000.
It was revealed that no matter the amount of money an applicant pays to these officers and their agents what appears on the official receipt issued to the applicant is only the statutory fee.
There is nothing like EXPRESS
Speaking to our correspondent, Barr. Ezeugwu dismissed the story of Express in passport processing or renewing.
Express is a corrupt activity, an act of paying extra money to officials to get fast, preferential and special treatments
Ezeugwu said those only given preferential treatment are the sick old men and women who are incapacitated. He also said another people who enjoyed this special treatments are those living in diaspora that came back during the festive period and were mandated to go back in January quicky.
Payments for passport processing should be made online
Ezeugwu cautioned that it is an of ignorance at present day to pay for the processing of passport to anybody whosoever.
He said that immigration policy states that all payments for passport processing should be made at the immigration official online portal and not directly to anyone.
He noted that applicants are expected to come to immigration office with receipt for further registration after the payment online.
Ezeugwu warned that anybody giving money directly to any immigration official, did so at his/her own risk.
Hasty Applicants
The Imo immigration Controller-General stressed that passport applicants fall victims to passport racketeers as a result hastiness.
He said that some of the applicants will wait till it becomes urgent for them to renew or process their passport thereby leading them to corrupt officials and touts hanging around at the immigration office.
Passport processing price bellow is N20,000
When asked about by the outrageous high payment complained by applicants in Imo while cheaper in other States, Barr. Ezeugwu said the exact price for passport processing is bellow N20,000 (19,800).
He said, “what people are saying about passport processing price at 35,000/40,000 is never what it is, the exact price is N19,800.
Scarcity of booklets
He said that the main factor which delays the issuance of passport to applicants is the unavailability and scarcity of booklets.
Ezeugwu noted that the exact time for passport issuance after registration is six weeks. But he said sometimes the shortage of passport booklets delays it’s issuance to eight weeks.
Mechanism to curb extortion
Ezeugwu stated that a public complain box for applicants is always available to file their complains and petitions when necessary at the immigration office.
He also charged anyone with complains about passport extortion to come directly to him with strong evidence.
Ezeugwu stressed that in many cases, most immigration officials who extort applicants are somehow related to them.
Findings by our correspondent showed that applicants are not allowed with phones into the premises.
