Travel News

The Bayelsa government at the weekend opened partnership discussions with its Akwa Ibom counterpart on the use of Ibom Air to start commercial flight operations at the Bayelsa International Airport.

Speaking as the leader of a high-powered delegation from Bayelsa at a meeting in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom capital, the Deputy Governor, Sen. Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, said that the choice of Ibom Air was informed by proximity and the good bilateral relations between the two sister states.

Ewhrudjakpo, in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Mr Doubara Atasi, on Sunday explained that Akwa Ibom has proved itself as a dependable neighbour to Bayelsa in so many ways over the years, which must be reciprocated “in the spirit of give-and-take”.

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He expressed optimism that the partnership deal would soon be sealed for the airline to commence flights to and from Bayelsa, Lagos and Abuja, describing the two routes as the highest in traffic for the people of the state.

The deputy governor assured Bayelsans and the public of the present administration’s commitment to ensure smooth operations at the state airport, which is adjudged to be one of the best in the country by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

According to him, the state government is applying the business principle of “starting small to grow big” by going for a 50-Seater aircraft in its present deal with IbomAir to promote socioeconomic activities in the state.

Ewhrudjakpo, who likened efforts for acquiring the operational licence to Nelson Mandela’s “Long walk to Freedom”, however, added that government has plans to do business with other airlines in the near future.

His words, “Basically, we are here to discuss how we can have mutually beneficial partnership with your airline, Ibom Air. Our target is on any of your aircraft that has the capacity of about 50-seaters because we don’t want to start too big.

“We believe that if we don’t start anything now, we will have the issue of: ‘Why did you rush to get the commercial licence? So, we want to see how we can conclude with you and start operations.

“We have decided to choose Ibom Air because those who stay near each other have the tendency of exchanging pleasantries and other good things.

And so, we decided that instead of going to meet commercial airlines such as Orleans and Air Peace and then even the New United Airlines, we agreed to start with Akwa Ibom, our neighbor, to set the ball rolling.

“Our intention is to do two flights for now, a trip to and from Abuja, as well as a trip to and from Lagos. These are the major cities that our people visit very often for now either for business or for other purposes.”

Members of the state delegation, who accompanied the deputy governor were the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Biriyai Dambo, Commissioner for Finance, Mr Maxwell Ebibai, and their transport counterpart, Hon. Grace Ekiotenne.

Others included the Deputy Chief of Staff, Deputy Governor’s Office, Mr Alex Dumbo and the Manager of the Bayelsa International Airport, Mrs Elizabeth Akpama

Federal officials said Monday they are pursuing civil penalties against two more passengers for interfering with airline crews, the latest in a surge of such cases in recent months.

The Federal Aviation Administration said it is continuing to take a zero-tolerance stance against unruly passengers.

The most recent cases involve a passenger who refused to wear a face mask, which is required by federal regulation, and another who cursed flight attendants and the captain after boarding a plane.

The Federal Aviation Administration says it has received 1,300 complaints from airlines about disruptive passengers this year and has announced proposed civil penalties — some topping $30,000 — against more than a dozen passengers in recent weeks. The passengers can protest the penalties.

The agency said Monday it will seek a $10,500 fine against a passenger on a JetBlue Airways flight from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to Los Angeles in December. The FAA said the man repeatedly ignored orders to wear a mask, then coughed and blew his nose into a blanket.

The FAA proposed a $9,000 fine against a passenger who boarded a JetBlue flight from Los Angeles to Newark, New Jersey, in March. The man slammed overhead bins and shouted profanities at flight attendants and the captain before law enforcement escorted him out of the terminal, the FAA said.

The new cases came just three days after the FAA announced potential fines against four other passengers. None of the individuals have been identified.

Under its zero-tolerance policy announced in January, the FAA says it no longer warns or counsels unruly passengers, it jumps straight to enforcement action. The FAA has power to levy civil penalties but is letting law enforcement decide whether to seek criminal charges against passengers.

The FAA crackdown began around the time supporters of former President Donald Trump created disturbances on several flights to and from Washington. It was to remain in effect until late March, but the agency extended it when the Transportation Security Administration extended its requirement that passengers wear face masks through Sept. 13.

The FAA says it started enforcement action against more than 1,300 passengers during the past 10 years.

U.S. airlines, which imposed their own face-mask requirements before the government did, have temporarily banned at least 3,000 people for refusing to cover their faces.

The Associated Press

By Abdullateef Aliyu

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has announced the immediate resumption of international flights at the Port Harcourt International Airport, River State.

The agency, however, said the resumption of international flights at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport Enugu will be announced in due course.

This is contained in the All Operators Letter to all Aviation stakeholders and foreign airlines flying to Nigeria.

According to the letter with reference number NCAA/DG/AIR/11/16/309, dated May 4, 2021, and signed by the NCAA director-general, Captain Musa Nuhu, the NCAA said the decision followed the announcement on staggered resumption of international flights by the Presidential Steering Committee (PSC) on COVID-19.

Daily Trust reports that the Federal Government has announced the phased resumption of international flight starting with the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos and the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja.

Also, to come on stream is the international wing of the Malam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA) and the Enugu Airport.

Nigeria’s envisaged new national carrier, Nigeria Air (Lagos), is to be private-sector driven and financed, with the government proposing to hold no more than 5% of its shareholding.

This is according to a leaked document of the country’s Federal Ministry of Aviation, which provides a long-awaited first update on the Nigerian Federal Government’s roadmap towards the new flag carrier, which was first announced in 2018.

The document, seen by Economic Confidential, a Nigerian economic news magazine, proposes that a consortium of private investors raise USD250 million to start up the airline, with the government providing financial guarantees and “fiscal incentives”.

“The national carrier project will be private sector-driven, with the government holding not more than 5% of the shares. The private sector consortium may comprise reputable international airlines, leasing companies, aircraft manufacturers, financial, and institutional investors. USD250m approximately is to be raised to start up the airline by private investors,” the document reads.

The government would provide the required support by creating the enabling environment in terms of sustainable policies, allocation of routes, provision of financial guarantees, and ensuring "fiscal incentives to sustain the success of the airline".

The document indicates that the development phase of the project has been completed, with the procurement phase slated as the next step. It says an outline of the business case has been completed. “The next set of steps will involve the commencement of [the] procurement phase by placing [an] advert for a request for qualification in the national dailies and the foreign media," the document reads.

ch-aviation research found that a compliance certificate was already issued on July 8, 2018, by the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), an agency of the Federal Government responsible for the development and implementation of public-private partnership frameworks. The ICRC in 2018 had also completed a feasibility study of the proposed airline.

As previously reported, plans for Nigeria Air were first revealed at the July 2018 Farnborough Air by Aviation Minister Hadi Sirika. Two months later, the government shelved the idea due to objections within its ranks to using public funds to set up the airline. The airline was incorporated as a private entity on July 18, 2018, according to the official document - lodged with the Corporate Affairs Commission of Nigeria - seen by ch-aviation.

Then, in May 2019, Sirika announced the government had now earmarked NGN47.43 billion naira (USD132 million) in the 2019 budget for the proposed airline. The funding was to enable the start-up to launch operations before the introduction of private equity funds.

In November 2020, the Aviation Ministry announced it had again earmarked funds for the establishment of Nigeria Air within its NGN78.96 billion (USD204.9 million) 2021 budget for the implementation of the aviation roadmap, which it said, would be implemented through a public-private partnership. All necessary agreements and arrangements with other partners had been worked out, "making 2021 the year the new national carrier would be realised," Sirika had said.

According to project information on the ICRC website, the new flag carrier would start with a domestic and regional airline service with a narrow-body fleet and early-on add international services to Europe and the US with B787s or A350s.

By Kelvin Osa-Okunbor

Lagos-based airline, Green Africa Airways, has unveiled its route network ahead of entry into service, its spokesperson, Oyinade Osobajo said in a statement yesterday.

With plans to commence operations from its Lagos base at the General Aviation Terminal (GAT), she said the carrier will launch flights to   connect seven cities after completing its ongoing Air Operator Certificate (AOC) process with the NCAA which is now in advanced stages.

According to Osobajo, additional cities within Nigeria will be added as the value carrier scales its operations.

She said plans were underway to establish two more operational bases outside Lagos to stimulate air travel and provide more options to customers.

Osobajo said: “To facilitate increased economic and trade activities within Nigeria, Green Africa will offer new direct connections from the commercial hub of Lagos into these cities including Akure, Ilorin, Abuja, Enugu , Owerri and Port Harcourt .”

Its Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Babawande Afolabi said starting with “our launch route network, we are crafting a network plan that will afford more customers the opportunity to pursue their economic interest or simply spend more time with family and friends. Our three key product offerings – gSaver, gClassicTM and gFlexTM will afford customers the value of choice and flexibility.

“Green Africa recently received its first aircraft with the second and third aircraft expected to arrive soon. Facilities and infrastructures are now in place to support commercial, flight, and airport operations.”

(Bloomberg) -- Germany loosened travel rules to allow people fully vaccinated against Covid-19 to enter the country without needing to get tested or go into quarantine.

The rules, which also apply to those who have recovered from the virus, were approved by Chancellor Angela Merkel’s cabinet on Wednesday.

One-third of German residents have received at least one dose of a Covid vaccine, and nearly 10% have been fully inoculated. As the pace ramps up, Germany has granted more privileges to people immune from the disease, including easing trips to hairdressers.

The looser restrictions come as Germany shows signs of containing a third wave of the pandemic. On Wednesday, infections over the past seven days fell to 107.8 per 100,000 people, the lowest in more than a month after peaking near 170 in late April.

The new travel rules don’t apply for high-risk regions, where faster-spreading mutations are present, Health Minister Jens Spahn said at a news conference.

He said there is “optimism” due to the falling infection numbers and the accelerating vaccination drive, but warned against “excessively high spirits” because the incidence rate is still too high.

by  Siddharth Philip and Layan Odeh

People on Quarteira beach in Quarteira, Portugal. Photographer: Jose Sarmento Matos/Bloomberg , Bloomberg

(Bloomberg) -- Airline operators in the U.K. were prepared to quickly ramp up flights to popular destinations in Greece and Spain. They got Portugal instead. 

Even as carriers quickly shift capacity to Lisbon and Faro in the Algarve, they're pressing U.K. officials to add the two larger Mediterranean nations to the list of countries marked green in the traffic-light border system unveiled last week. Portugal is too small to single-handedly deliver a summer travel boom for airlines at risk of missing a second straight high season because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The big prize would be Spain, the most popular holiday destination for Brits, who along with Germans make up the largest source of tourists in Europe. Carriers had bet heavily that Spain or at least its islands would be green-lit. They added almost 70,000 seats on flights headed there for the week of May 17, when U.K. borders will start to loosen, according to data from flight tracker OAG. From the U.K. to Greece, the schedule exploded by 1,600% week-to-week.  

“Airlines were certainly second-guessing what would happen,’’ said John Grant, chief analyst at OAG. The government of Prime Minister Boris Johnson held off on the announcement till May 7, after elections were over. The timing “gave airlines less than a week to change their schedules and make any adjustments necessary.”

Now they’re doing just that. Ryanair Holdings Plc has added 245,000 seats from the U.K. to Portugal since last Friday. Similar moves came from discount rivals EasyJet Plc, Wizz Air Holdings Plc and tour operator TUI AG.

U.K. airlines and airports are now lobbying for the government to add Greece and Spain to the green list. The Greek tourism minister was in London this week to meet with U.K. counterparts and airlines about reopening links. In a sign of optimism, IAG SA flagship British Airways is adding more than 90,000 seats to sunny spots including the Greek islands of Corfu, Kos and Kefalonia, along with Spain’s Canary Islands and Bodrum in Turkey. But the flights won’t start until June 21. 

Read more:  Brits Finally Traveling Again Means Long Lines and Costly Tests

What’s Happening in Air Travel This Week

Globally, air travel is still struggling to gain traction in its recovery from the pandemic. Capacity remains at about 57% of pre-crisis levels — unchanged from the previous week — based on Bloomberg’s weekly flight tracker, which uses OAG data to monitor the pulse of the comeback.

While frustratingly slow for airlines, the progress in the U.K. has helped Europe establish some momentum restarting air travel after lagging behind Asia and North America throughout the health crisis. In the European Union, infection rates are dropping and vaccine campaigns are advancing. The bloc’s Green Digital certificate should provide a boon to regional travel by the end of June.

On Tuesday, Moody’s Investors Services weighed in, revising its global outlook for the industry to positive from negative. 

“We expect increasing vaccinations will lower border restrictions and increase demand for air travel over the next 12 to 18 months,’’ said Jonathan Root, a senior vice president at the credit-ratings firm. “Leisure traffic will lead the charge to the boarding gates, while corporate trips and international long-haul will follow, initially at a slower pace.’’

U.S. Ascending

Among regions, a changing-of-the-guard is at hand, with North America gaining steam over the past week while activity in Asia dropped precipitously.

Major markets including Pakistan, Indonesia, Vietnam and Japan have seen air-travel recoveries reverse direction as authorities try to stem rising infection levels. A massive Covid-19 outbreak in India has already led to a plunge in flights there. 

In the U.S., the number of seats being offered jumped 5%, according to OAG. Higher bookings are being fed by rising vaccination rates and an easing of travel restrictions, according to Airlines for America, the industry group that counts American Airlines Group Inc., Delta Air Lines Inc. and United Airlines Holdings Inc. among members.

While a domestic travel rebound has helped — along with hops to the Caribbean — executives at U.S. and U.K. airlines lobbied the countries’ transportation secretaries on Tuesday to reopen highly profitable trans-Atlantic routes. 

Like with many aspects of the pandemic, the air-travel recovery appears K-shaped, with carriers in a handful of countries flying at pre-pandemic levels or above, and hubs in other countries still quiet. The contrast is especially true in Asia, where — as in the U.S. — Chinese airlines are being buoyed by strong domestic market as other national markets fall away. 

The stakes are extra high in Japan, where Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga extended a state of emergency with less than three months to go before Tokyo hosts the summer Olympics. The edict covers the capital city and two more regions hit by rising virus cases, in an attempt to stem infections.

BY  Joe Weisenthal

Bloomberg , Bloomberg

(Bloomberg) -- There’s no question that Bitcoin often gets sold as an inflation hedge. So much of the story is about the Fed printing all this money and how there’s only 21 million bitcoin, and so something something something, the number will go up due to inflation. You’ve heard it a million times.

Well, today we got one of the hottest inflation prints in years. By one measure, the consumer price index had its fastest gain since 2009. So how’s Bitcoin doing? Not great. Here’s the intraday chart, with the time of the CPI print marked by the vertical line

Now you might say, well sure, but the hot inflation was well-known, it was priced in, in some way. And that the number we got today helps explains the extraordinary gains over the last year. But that’s pretty weak. It’s clear that the CPI reading did, in fact, surprise other assets. Five-year yields are up substantially on the day, showing traders did not anticipate such a big increase in inflation. 

Look, to be fair, this is just one day and you can’t make big sweeping conclusions about the role an asset plays in global portfolios from four hours of trading. Nonetheless, we do have a few more clues out there. In addition to Bitcoin selling off, we’re seeing tech get hammered (down 2%) and the real speculative stuff like the ARKK exchange-traded fund down over 3%. So from that perspective it looks like Bitcoin is simply behaving as a risky, speculative asset, which both explains its action today and also over the last year. Gold is also down on the day (speaking of assets mis-sold as an inflation hedge).

Of course, gold, highly speculative tech, and Bitcoin all have something in common, which is that they don’t generate cash flow in the here and now. When economic growth is sluggish, that’s not really a big deal, of course, ‘cause nobody’s making much money in the first place. But when the economy is red hot, and you can make good money with lumber or gasoline or chips or labor, then why put your money in such future-oriented assets that aren’t paying anything today?

BY  Alberto Brambilla and Alessandra Migliaccio, Bloomberg News

An Airbus SE A320 passenger aircraft, operated by Alitalia SpA, aircraft taxis on the runway as it prepares to take off from Fiumicino airport in Rome, Italy, on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2017. Alitalia shareholders approved Etihad Airways PJSC investment of up to $231m, Etihad became Alitalia's largest shareholder in 2014 as part of the Persian Gulf carrier's attempt to gain a European foothold by strengthening struggling carriers in the region. Photographer: Alessia Pierdomenico/Bloomberg , Bloomberg

(Bloomberg) -- Italy is considering a new 100 million-euro ($121 million) cash injection for bankrupt airline Alitalia, according to people with knowledge of the matter.

The government led by Prime Minister Mario Draghi has already allocated 50 million euros to pay for the carrier’s April salaries, amid protests by workers on the streets of Rome and at Fiumicino Airport, the company’s main national hub.

Talks with the European Commission to set up a successor to the failed airline -- to be called Italia Trasporto Aereo SpA, or ITA -- remain deadlocked. The EU is demanding a clear separation between the assets and personnel of the bankrupt carrier and its replacement. As a result, the startup for the new company has been postponed from April until July 1, Chief Executive Officer Fabio Lazzerini said in parliament on April 27.

The most recent cash injection will likely be sufficient to keep the company afloat for the summer season, according to the people familiar.

Alitalia continues to operate flights, but the carrier has been under administration since 2017 and last month paid half-salaries to its 11,000 staff. The loss-making airline has been kept afloat by regular injections of public money and low-cost competitors have been taking advantage of its weakness by expanding in Italy before an expected summer travel rebound.

A spokesman for the Italian Treasury declined to comment for this story.

BY  ADELANI ADEPEGBA, SAMSON FOLARIN, RAPHAEL EDE, JOHN CHARLES, ADENIYI OLUGBEMI and DENNIS NAKU

ADELANI ADEPEGBA, SAMSON FOLARIN, RAPHAEL EDE, JOHN CHARLES, ADENIYI OLUGBEMI and DENNIS NAKU capture the frustration of applicants for Nigerian passports in view of acute shortage of booklets and seeming inaction of the government on the intractable problem

Despite the scorching sun, the crowd at the Nigeria Immigration passport office, Ikeja, Lagos, kept swelling with exasperated Nigerians. Many of the applicants, who went with high hopes of getting their passports, however, left in frustration.

One of them was John, who needed the travel document urgently. Worry and anxiety were written on his face as he called his father on the telephone to lament his ordeal.

When he was done with the conversation, he told one of our correspondents how he had become frustrated after pursuing the document for over three months.

“I am not in a good mood at all. I have been coming here since February. They keep wasting people’s time. My parents paid for me through someone. Nobody applies online, because they will not attend to you. So many people are just sitting down and their files are unattended to. The documents for processing are not available; they say there are no booklets,” he said.

Another applicant, Patience, was also dejected when one of our correspondents approached her and introduced himself as a journalist. She sneered, wondering how the reporter could help her situation.

After some persuasion, she opened up. “I gave up on Nigeria a long time ago. Nothing can be better. For the past three weeks, they have been asking me to bring one document or the other. My house is far away and I need the passport urgently. But they are saying there is no passport booklet.

“The officers said if I needed express (service), then I must add something to the fee they had already charged; they demanded between N10,000 and N15,000. But I am ready to even pay, except that there is a problem with my name that I needed them to correct. You know how things are done in Nigeria. Online, the fee is N17,000, but I was asked to pay N40,000, and that was because I went directly to an officer I knew. And on top of that, they are asking for extra money for express.”

Several other applicants lamented how they could not secure their passports because the officials claimed the booklets were not available.

The PUNCH, however, noted that despite the scarcity of the booklets, a few individuals seemed to be getting theirs. Some immigration officers around the security office near the main gate were observed counting naira notes collected from some applicants.

While our correspondent could not tell the purpose of the payment, it was observed that many applicants paid directly to the immigration officers to ease the process of the application. Several applicants confirmed this to our reporter.

A woman, who did not identify herself, said the process of the passport application had been hitch-free for her because “an uncle paid directly into the account of the officer handling it.”

The PUNCH also overheard an agent discussing with a client on the phone and talking about how he had been haggling the price for a 10-year passport for N95,000. He claimed that his link in the immigration office was demanding N120,000.

A student of a private university, identified simply as Bimbo, said an intermediary, who collected N50,000 from her for a five-year passport, promised that everything would go smoothly. She said the agent connected her with an immigration officer, who called her for data capturing.”

Long wait, scarcity characterise passport applications in FCT

In the Federal Capital Territory, the situation is not different. Findings indicate that passport applicants generally go through unofficial routes to obtain the booklets and pay exorbitantly. Checks show that many NIS officers are taking advantage of the scarcity to engage in passport racketeering.

Many applicants have yet to get the passports weeks after going for biometric capture after paying the stipulated fees. Officials blamed the scarcity on inadequate supply of booklets by the contractor, Iris Smart Technology Limited.

A passport applicant, Anselm Ansadi stated, “I discovered that getting the e-passport isn’t as easy as it sounds. After paying the necessary fees and doing the biometric capture, I was informed that the passport would be ready within a week.

“After waiting for over two weeks without getting any response, I contacted an immigration officer at the NIS headquarters, who helped in fast-tracking the issuance. I had to part with additional money.”

A businesswoman, who was asked to pay N100,000 for the 10-year booklet, blamed the government for giving room for the unending exploitation of Nigerians by passport officials.

Extortion, touting by NIS officers at play in Enugu

At the Enugu NIS passport office, an official asked one of our correspondents to pay N30,000 against the official N18,500, while an urgent passport application went for N35,000.

In a move to cajole our reporter to patronise him, the officer said, “If you want a passport, you must go through an immigration officer to get it in record time. Otherwise, if you apply online, you hardly get the passport. One person I know, who applied online, has not received it since November last year. Another one, who applied since the first week of February hasn’t obtained his passport till date.

“However, there is scarcity of passports now. But if you go through an immigration officer (unofficially), you will finish your application and receive the passport booklet.”

At the Federal Secretariat, Enugu, more than five immigration personnel accosted our correspondent, saying, “Oga do you want a passport? Is any immigration officer processing your passport?’’

The State Controller of Immigration, Mr Joachim Olumbah, promised to investigate and fish out those behind the passport racketeering in the command. He said such unprofessional acts could not be denied, but noted that it was not an official endorsement from the command.

Travel agents, NIS officers levy passport applicants in Benue

Nigerians seeking to obtain the e-passport have decried the non-availability of the travel document in Makurdi, Benue State. They also frowned on the activities of middlemen and travel agents, who go about extorting money from intending travellers on the pretext of assisting them to facilitate the issuance of passports from the Nigeria Immigration Service office.

When our correspondent in Benue visited the NIS passport office located opposite the High Court in Makurdi, some applicants were sighted in a queue waiting to collect their passport booklets. But their hopes were dashed as they were turned back and asked to come back another time.

One of the applicants, who identified himself as Donald, said he applied for the passport on January 8, 2021, to enable him to travel abroad for his education.

“At first, I was told to go to the bank and pay N18,000 into a designated account and bring the printout, which I did; since then, it has been one excuse or the other. I was asked to come today, but when I got here, an officer told me that the passport control officer was not available and that I should come another time.

“This is not funny; some people, who applied at the same time as me, have collected theirs because they were able to grease the palms of officials. That is, after they paid N18,000 in the bank, they still came to the office and paid additional money to officials or travel agents to facilitate immediate issuance of the passport. Those of us who refused to bribe, the officials are unable to get ours.”

Another applicant, Mr Terna Suemo, said he paid for the 32-page booklet in the first week of March 2021 but could not get it due to non-availability of booklets.

He stated, “However, an insider told me that if I wanted to get it officially, it would take time, but if I needed it urgently and I pay extra money, he could get the passport for me.”

The NIS Public Relations Officer in the state, Mrs Ngufan Akaa, declined to comment.

Long queues of applicants waiting to do the mandatory biometric capture for the National Identity Number are features of the Rivers State passport office in Port Harcourt.

Though the new complex donated to the service by the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, appears comfortable, it is usually crowded amid complaints of booklet scarcity and delay. No incidence of touting was noticed at the office located at No. 8 Aba Road, Port Harcourt.

Meanwhile, an applicant, who simply identified himself as Chidi, said he travelled all the way from Awka, Anambra State, to Port Harcourt, where he was referred to after paying N50,000 as express delivery charges for the 32-page passport, which ordinarily costs N25,000.

“A passport of 32 pages that costs N25,000, I was made to pay N50,000 for express service, because I needed it urgently. I came all the way from Awka, because there was no booklet at the office. I had also gone to Owerri (Imo State) and Asaba (Delta State), but there were no booklets in those states.”

 Checks indicated that over 1,000 booklets had yet to be collected by their owners. It was also gathered that Rivers was the only state in the South-South and South-East currently issuing the e-passport with a five and 10-year validity period.

Passport scarcity, violation of freedom of movement – Lawyer, CSO

A lawyer, Deji Ajare, of the Sterling Centre, Abuja, said the failure of the government to issue passport booklets was a violation of the constitutionally guaranteed right to freedom of movement of the citizens.

“Nigerians in the Diaspora, who are reportedly facing some form of difficulty over processing of their passports, can benefit from a renewal by postal service and the opening of more centres to cater to this need.”

Speaking in a similar vein, the Executive Director, United Global Resolve for Peace, Olaseni Shalom, argued that the passport scarcity was artificial and meant to subvert due process and enrich the pockets of a few corrupt officers.

The NIS spokesman,  Sunday James, failed to respond to inquiries about what the service was doing to curb the unethical conduct by immigration personnel. He did not respond to calls and a text message sent to his phone on Wednesday.

Apparently roused from its slumber by the loud complaints from angry Nigerians, the Federal Government announced a policy statement it hopes would assuage the problem. The Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, said all passport backlogs would be issued on or before May 31, 2021, adding that those with issues with their applications would be contacted.