By George Onmonya Daniel
As you walk into the immigration premises or drive in, at the airport road, Abuja, the immigration men mounting a road block there to check motorists and people coming in would stop you and quickly ask what you are coming to do. They ask to know if you are coming to renew your international passport or get a new one. If it has anything to do with passport, they ask if you have anybody assisting you and if you don't they quickly direct you to an officer inside. All the immigration officers in the Passport Office, Abuja, from the top to the low ranking officers are all involved in the passport racketeering business.
If you want your passport to be renewed before 48 hours just pay the right price and it will be done, If you want to change your birthday on your passport, just pay, even if you want to change your name, its all about how much you are willing to pay, it is all done in the Abuja office for the right price. Everyone knows about about it.
Getting a new passport or renewal is supposed to cost about N25,000 (Twenty five thousand naira) officially. 80% of people who got their passport in Abuja paid double. In fact the price in Abuja passport office is from N40,000 to N45,000, if you want your passport to come out on time. All the immigration officers leave their offices where they are supposed to be working and storm the passport office daily. They bring their customers in to be capture on time, sidelining people on the queue. It is normal practice, it is the standard, the extra N15,000 to N20,000 they charge extra is to facilitate and ensure their customers do not have to wait, this to the detriment of those doing the right thing. Even the Comptroller General of Immigration knows what is going on and looks the other way.
It means that with the right amount of money, anyone can change their date of birth, country of birth and their whole identity and those who would do it for you are the immigration officers themselves. That's the reality of what Nigeria is at the moment.
To see this happening in a country plagued by terrorists like Boko Haram is quite saddening, to see that very people who should provide security are the ones undermining it consciously or unconsciously is quite heartbreaking. This passport racketeering business is the biggest business in immigration office in Abuja.
For an administration fighting corruption, this is a complete disgrace.