E-passport: Nigerians in Italy urge minister to resolve challenges

The Nigerian Community in Rome, Italy, has urged the Minister of Interior, Mr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, to resolve the enhanced e-passport challenges encountered by Nigerians in the diaspora.

President of the community, Prince Chima Ibezim, made the call in an interview with our reporter on his way out of the country at the Murtala Muhammad International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos on Friday.

Recall that the Federal Government on Nov. 8 unveiled additional enhanced e-Passport facilities at selected Nigerian Embassies in Europe.

The facilities were inaugurated at the Nigerian Embassy in Rome by the minister of interior, emphasising the dedication of President Bola Tinubu’s government to citizens’ diplomacy and the enhancement of services to the diaspora community.

Ibezim, who is also the Financial Director of the APC Committee of Diaspora Chairmen (CDC), urged the minister to particularly come to the aid of Nigerians in Italy affected with the issue of e-Passport.

He said that the issue had posed a lot of challenges and difficulties to Nigerians in the country.

He said: “Moreso, the National Identification Number (NIN) has posed difficulties to Nigerians.

“This is especially those with variations or rearrangement of their names in their old passports and other valid personal identification documents.

“Nigerians in the country are also lamenting on the increase in the passport price of minors who are not income earning and consequently causing more financial hardships for their parents and families.”

Ibezim pleaded that the old e-passport should be allowed to run in tandem with the enhanced one for some years.

He said this would gradually reduce any difficulties and challenges in obtaining the new ones.

Ibezim said this would further enhance the ‘Renewed Hope’ of the president’s administration as one that resonates with the problems of Nigerians both at home and in the diaspora.