FG to complete 1.8million passports issuance before end of 2022 – Aregbesola

•Says outcome of Kuje jail break probe on Buhari’s desk 

•3, 084 men on death row, female 61

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola has revealed that the Federal Government will complete processing and issuance of one million, eight hundred thousand passports by the end of 2022, just as he said the administration has processed one million, two hundred thousand passports at the moment. 

Aregbesola who disclosed this yesterday while responding to questions from journàlists during the Fourth Edition of President Muhammadu Buhari Administration Score Card 2015-2022, also said the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has recorded innovative feats between 2015 and 2022, including a ten year validity passport, increased border patrol base, remitted N19.2billion to the federation account, among others. 

The former Governor of Osun State also disclosed that the Ministry is working hard to ensure that before President Buhari leaves office in May 2023, passport booklets will be locally produced, though he admitted that presently, there is not enough processing centers across the country for people seeking to own international passport.

He however dispelled the rumour that there is not enough booklets, but explained that the delay which applicants experience before getting passports were occasioned by need for background security verification, which he said lasts not more than six weeks, considering that passports are serious security documents. 

“We have enough booklets for all applicants captured today. There is no sane society where passports are wait and take. In the United Kingdom, it takes thirteen weeks, in the United States, it takes fifteen weeks”, the Minister said.

Speaking on outcome of the investigation into recent jail break in Kuje Custodial Facility, Aregbesola said the Ministry has concluded investigations on the causes and forwarded result to the President for actions.

While assuring that such will not repeat in future, he said President Buhari has completed three high capacity custodial facilities across the country for keeping of inmates, each of which can keep three thousand inmates. 

The custodial villages, which he said is the first of its kind in Africa, are equipped with standard healthcare facilities for the wellbeing of the inmates.

Further on the facilities in the three thousand capacity custodial villages, the Minister said it is equipped with farmlands, in addition to twenty two tractors for farming activities by the inmates.

“About four hundred and twenty of our inmates are currently running degree programmes, and we also have about one hundred of them who have done their WAEC examination.

“3084 males are on the death row, while 61 females are on the death row, and I think that is a good record for our women, so continue to shy away from crimes”, Aregbesola said.

Earlier in his opening remarks, the Minister of Information, Lai Muhammed regretted that the increasing resort to fake news by a section of the media have become a threat to President Muhammadu Buhari’s achievements in office.

“Attack on INEC offices across the country has become a threat to 2023 elections”, Muhammed said, citing case of recent INEC fake latter against APC Presidential candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which went viral in some mainstream media. 

To this end, the Minister cautioned Media outlets to avoid being used for such nefarious activities, adding that fake news have done serious damage on elections in other climes, hence the government will not allow purveyors to have upper hand.