The House of Representatives on Tuesday said it was abnormal to produce Nigerian passports outside the country in view of its security features.
Rep Timehin Adelegbe, Vice Chairman, House Committee on Foreign Affairs, said this at the public hearing on incessant malpractices associated with diplomatic postings and deliberate draining of resources in Abuja.
He said the security features contained in the Nigerian passport should be guarded, adding that printing of Nigerian passport by a private firm outside the country was abnormal.
He said most Nigerians were not happy with the process and collection of passports, adding that it was high time the issue was taken seriously and addressed.
In his reaction, the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service, Mohammed Babandede, said: “Our wish is to produce even a booklet of Nigerian passport in our compound”.
On the issue of nepotism in NIS foreign posting, Babandede said officers often went the extra mile to lobby their way as they considered such posting the most lucrative.
He, however, said since he assumed office, he had embraced transparency on foreign posting as 50 per cent was reserved for officers who attended training school and 10 per cent for officers who had received award. (NAN)
