Posted by By Fidelis Soriwei, Benin on
The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service, Mr. Chukwurah Udeh, has threatened to dismiss men of the service that were involved in the extortion of money from applications for e-passports.
The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service, Mr. Chukwurah Udeh, has threatened to dismiss men of the service that were involved in the extortion of money from applications for e-passports.
Udeh, who was on a one-day working visit to the Edo State Command of the Immigration Service in Benin on Monday, said he would not only dismiss the errant officers but that he would also prosecute them to serve as a deterrent to others.
He warned that the rampant incidence of corruption that had dogged the e-passport scheme was unacceptable as nobody had the right to charge any fee higher than the official fee of N8,750.
He called on members of the public, especially the media, to help identify those that were perpetrating the act so that they could be brought to book.
He said, 'If you listen to my comments, I had addressed this issue this morning and I have told my officers this morning that it is sad. If you listen to the main gist of my address to our officers and men, you will notice that it is an unacceptable practice and that is why I am reiterating that the cost of passport is N8,750. Nobody has the right to charge anybody one kobo over and above government-approved cost for travel documents.
'I have said it here that nobody should try it here. The greed of officers must stop. I have said it on the parade ground that anybody so caught, in addition to sacking him from the job, we will take him to court and prosecute him because this nonsense must stop.'