From Aidoghie Paulinus, Abuja
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said that there is no underhand dealing in the issuance of passport at the Nigerian Embassy in France.
The Spokesperson, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ferdinand Nwonye, in a statement issued in Abuja, said that the report in one of the national dailies on January 9, 2021, allegedly linking the Embassy of Nigeria in France with passport racketeering was false.
“The Ministry wishes to strongly refute the allegations in the report and state for the records that the Embassy of Nigeria in France is not engaged in such act.
“The Ministry also wishes to emphasise that the allegation that applicants pay between 150-500 Euros for passports that cost 90 Euros is completely false. The fees for passport applications, which are the equivalent of 106 USD, are the same at Nigerian Missions worldwide. The information on the current charges and official procedure for services at the Embassy are well publicised,” Nwonye said.
Nwonye also said that the Embassy’s current online appointment system for applicants seeking passport and consular services was introduced over a year ago to promote transparency, streamline applications and ensure crowd control.
He added that in line with current regulations, Nigerians were expected to book for their appointments through the medium and only those with confirmed appointments were attended to.
The spokesperson added that in the aftermath of the COVID-19 measures and the surge in the number of applicants who book for appointments, the Embassy currently had online passport applications bookings until the end of March, 2021, which were being treated expeditiously.