SEPTEMBER 21, 2021

By Oluwaseun Akingboye (Akure) and Eniola Daniel

Expert lists problems of the health sector backs JOHESU on strike

Chairman, House Committee on Health Institutions, Dr. Paschal Chigozie Obi, has said that little could be done to discourage doctors and other health personnel from leaving the country for greener pastures, as they remain part of Nigeria’s foreign exchange-earners.

Obi said this yesterday, during an oversight visit by the House committee to Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba, Lagos.

He said: “There is a limit to what human beings can do on the issue of doctors or professionals leaving the country for greener pastures. We have been doing our best in collaboration with the Federal Government to ensure there are good conditions of service for our professionals.”

“We held several meetings with the National Association of Resident Doctors of Nigeria (NARD) and we hands-off when the matter went to court and we can’t do anything until the matter is withdrawn from the court because anything we do will be subjudice. So, we can’t interfere in the court process until it is settled. Right now, we are handicapped.

“We have invited JOHESU members to the table because they haven’t gone to court. We are trying to do our best to ensure that they don’t go to court. If they do, we will have no choice but to also hand off.

The Chief Medical Director (CMD), (LUTH), Prof. Chris Bode, who spoke on major challenges in the sector, said strikes were causing instability in the system, and disrupting services, training and research.

Also, a member of the House, Dr. Samuel Babatunde Adejare, said: “It is unfortunate that we are witnessing this. You need so much money to train yourself as a doctor overseas but here in Nigeria, what you need to get to be a doctor is a peanut compared to that. It, is, therefore, so unfortunate that when you get trained here, those people call and poach our doctors.”

SIMILARLY, the immediate past President of the Association of Community Pharmacists in Nigeria (ACPN), Samuel Adekola, has blamed the problems facing the health sector in the country on the medical personnel taking the leading positions in the sector.

He, therefore, justified the fresh 15-day notice issued by JOHESU and Assembly of Healthcare Professional Associations (AHPA) to embark on strike.

Adekola, however, noted that there had been some medical personnel in the saddle that has integrity, stressing that they are overwhelmed by undue pressure from their colleagues to further destroy the system.

“The truth about it is that we have been unfortunate in Nigeria in terms of having people who will want to take the bull by the horn to solve the problem. I must say sincerely that the health security of Nigeria will not thrive having a particular group of persons heading it.

“Even if they want to do what is right, they continue to be under intense pressure from their colleagues. And this is why JOHESU insists on going on strike again,” he said.

SEPTEMBER 21, 2021

(Bloomberg) -- Dubai’s airports chief says the number of international visitors may more than double next year as the easing of Covid-19 restrictions boosts travel through one of the world’s busiest hubs.

“We’re going to see a very sharp up-tick,” Dubai Airports Chief Executive Paul Griffiths said on Bloomberg Television on Tuesday. The lifting of curbs between Dubai and countries such as the U.K., U.S. and Saudi Arabia will have a “massive impact” on the Gulf state, with about 27 million people passing through this year alone, he said.

Dubai is “very confident” that from Oct. 4 the United Arab Emirates will be included among countries not deemed by the U.K. as high-risk for coronavirus infections, Griffiths added. Dubai International Airport, the world’s largest by international traffic, counts London as its leading destination.

The U.K. said on the weekend it would reduce testing requirements for visitors for more countries and recognize coronavirus vaccines administered in 17 nations, including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain and Israel. The UAE wasn’t included in the list but Britain’s Minister for the Middle East and North Africa, James Cleverly, said on Sept. 17 that could change.

“There’s a minor technical issue that’s already been resolved and we’re expecting an announcement very shortly,” Griffiths said.

 

SEPTEMBER 22, 2021

BY Ethan Wolff-Mann  ·Senior Writer

On Friday a flight-enthusiast passenger noticed that a Spirit Airlines (SAVE) plane that had taken off a few spots ahead of his United plane (UAL) from the Houston airport was now well behind him, according to a flight tracker.

The passenger, who is also a licensed flight dispatcher, guessed that the Spirit flight was likely flying slower to save money, like a frugal driver on the highway. (Fuel economy usually decreases at 50mph according to the DOE.)

This interesting observation exposed an open secret in the world of airlines and flights: They don't all fly at the same speed. Two identical itineraries with identical weather conditions can have two different ETAs.

Despite the occasional pilot informing passengers (proudly) of an intention to “make up time in the air,” people usually assume planes are going as fast as they safely can, like a speed limit, similar to a bus or a train. Even Scott Keyes, the deal-finding guru behind Scott’s Cheap Flights, tweeted his surprise at this fact.

Bernstein airline analyst Daniel Roeska told Yahoo Finance that these speeds all depend on the specific airline and its goals. Some airlines like Ryanair and Wizz “typically fly at the optimum speed which minimizes en route fuel burn,” he said.

“Network airlines [non-low cost carriers] sometimes fly faster to enable a higher productivity (given that their planes are on the ground a long time),” he said. “But it’s all policy: if you fly faster, you can cram more flights (revenues) into your day, if you fly slower — fewer flights and lower fuel cost.”

In other words, speed is dictated by the airline’s goals, be they on time performance, cramming flights in, or saving money on fuel — things that are all in flux depending on the airline, the day, and the situation.

“The differences are not huge,” Roeska said, usually something like 466 mph to 547 mph, which is a difference of covering 81 more miles in an hour.

A lot of factors in play

Airplane physics complicate the speed equation further, longtime airline analyst Robert W. Mann told Yahoo Finance.

Evaluating the Spirit and United situation, Mann said that usually airplanes looking to make up speed will fly lower, “but in this case, it could be due to the United aircraft operating at a lower weight (fewer passengers/less cargo and fuel onboard) than the Spirit aircraft.”

This would make the Spirit plane slower to climb with a slower cruising speed, he said.

More

“Airlines still try to save fuel when they can,” he said “The physics of flight, generally, is that flying faster and heavier at any given altitude requires greater fuel flow.”

Altitude is tricky since it’s often a product of weight, and Mann explained that long-haul flights often have to “step climb,” which is when a plane will slowly climb as it burns off fuel, because the fuel itself represents a significant weight cost.

“They can't reach the final cruising altitude at their initial departure weight,” he said, noting that in the future, electric planes will re-write the long-haul playbook, since a battery doesn’t burn off fuel and become lighter, creating a challenge for electric propulsion.

SEPTEMBER 22, 2021

(Bloomberg) -- Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd.’s U.S. bookings surged more than 600% overnight Monday from a week earlier after the Biden administration said most foreigners fully inoculated against Covid-19 would be able to visit again.

New York saw the biggest surge in demand, the U.K. airline said in a statement Tuesday, while leisure destinations also performed well. Sales to Orlando, Miami and Las Vegas soared.

British Airways said its vacation division saw an almost 700% increase in searches week-on-week to destinations including Los Angeles and Boston.

The shares of European airlines and other travel-related companies gained for a second day following the U.S. decision. British Airways parent IAG SA led the way with a 7% advance after an 11% gain Monday before closing 3.1% higher. Deutsche Lufthansa AG rose as much as 5% and Air France-KLM 3.8%.

Virgin Atlantic isn’t listed but is considering a public offering in London as flights return, people with knowledge of the plan said last month.

Airline stocks were also buoyed by suggestions that the U.S. will allow in people inoculated with a range of Covid-19 shots. Officials told Bloomberg that the Centers for Disease Control currently considers people fully vaccinated when they have received a full course of a jabs listed for emergency use by the World Health Organization. That would include those from AstraZeneca Plc and Chinese developers Sinopharm Group and Sinovac Biotech Ltd.

Airlines Rejoice as U.S. Agrees to Trans-Atlantic Restart

Liberum said in a note that the news from Washington will boost carriers whose most profitable market has been largely closed for 18 months, identifying IAG, normally the No. 1 North Atlantic operator, as “the biggest beneficiary.”

The corridor connecting the U.S. and Europe was the most profitable corner of the aviation market before the coronavirus crisis, a hotspot for those paying extra for first- and business-class seats. European flag carriers are far more reliant on those routes than their U.S. counterparts, which have extensive, profitable domestic networks to fall back on.

Germany, Spain

Flight-search specialist Skyscanner said its website experienced a 54% surge in visits following the American announcement from a week earlier.

While U.K. routes led the way with a near 900% increase in economy-class bookings on Monday compared with Sunday, German flights to the U.S. saw a surge of more than 750% and demand from Spain was up in excess of 350%.

Airlines on both sides of the Atlantic have lobbied forcefully for a relaxation of travel curbs throughout the pandemic, and particularly after vaccine rollouts gathered pace earlier this year. While the European Union and the U.K. began allowing in inoculated Americans over the summer, the Biden administration had held off on reciprocating.

Limited Impact

EasyJet Plc, Britain’s biggest short-haul airline, said it has also experienced an increase in bookings following the U.K. government’s decision Friday to ease coronavirus testing requirements for fully vaccinated arrivals, removing a significant barrier to travel.

However, while sales picked up over the weekend, the impact was limited following the end of the summer vacation season, with only a week of school holidays -- in October -- remaining this side of the festive season, Chief Commercial Officer Sophie Dekkers told a House of Commons transport committee hearing.

(Updates with Skyscanner data from ninth paragraph, EasyJet testimony in U.K. parliament from 12th)

SEPTEMBER 22, 2021

The return of foreign airlines into the Nigerian airspace and arrival of new entrants show that foreign airlines are increasing interest in the Nigerian market as travel rebounds.

The Federal Government recently designated two Sudanese airlines, Sudan Airways and Sun Air Aviation, and two Nigerian carriers, Kabo Air and Skypower Express, to operate between the Sudanese city of Umm Badr and Kano in Nigeria, as the two countries have a long-term Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA).

Meanwhile, five years after exiting Nigeria, United Airlines last Friday announced that it would resume operations into Nigeria with its new service between Washington DC and Lagos, beginning November 29 (subject to government approval).

The airline says it will operate three weekly flights connecting the US capital to Nigeria’s largest city, which is also the top Western African destination for US-based travellers.

Africa’s largest airline, Ethiopian Airlines, will be resuming its flight to Enugu, the Eastern Heartland of Nigeria. The three weekly flights will be operated with a B787 Dreamliner.

Delta Airlines returned its operations at Lagos’s MMIA to pre-pandemic levels with the resumption of its non-stop service between Lagos and New York-JFK four times a week.

The flight from New York-JFK joins Delta’s existing daily service to Atlanta, which restarted last September following a short suspension due to the airport’s closure at the height of the pandemic.

Qatar Airline recently doubled its flights to Lagos, thereby exploiting the woes of Emirates. The service commenced July 1, and is operated with a B787 Dreamliner featuring 22 seats in business class and 232 seats in economy.

Read Also: Stakeholders kick against continued use of foreign airlines by FG for evacuation

Top travel destinations include London, United States, Canada, Ghana and Egypt.

Against predictions by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) that global passenger traffic will not return to pre-COVID-19 levels until 2024, Nigeria may be defying this forecast as foreign airlines flood the country as demand continues to rise.

Seyi Adewale, CEO, Mainstream Cargo Limited, says the reason for increased airline frequencies and new entrants show foreign airlines have interest in the market and Nigerians are willing travellers despite COVID-19.

According to Adewale, before any airline makes a decision to increase flight into a country or resume operations, the airline must have procured data from the IATA and other data based agencies to make informed decisions.

Abike Dabiri-Erewa, senior special assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and the Diaspora, said in 2017 that there were at least 15 million Nigerians in the diaspora.

According to recent data obtained from the World Bank, the Nigerian Diaspora population remitted $65.34 billion in three years to boost economic activities in the country.

Remittance inflow made up 4 percent of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product in 2020.

Adewale says these numbers are huge with the multiplier effect, considering direct travel needs, extended family travel needs, and local needs including food or farm produce.

Furthermore, the throughput of Nigerians at COVID-19 testing centres indicates COVID has not been able to restrict or discourage Nigerians from travelling, he states.

“Family visits, business conferences and seminars, physical meetings including exploration that were suspended in 2020 are now gradually back,” he notes.

For Susan Akporiaye, president, National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA), airlines are coming into Nigeria because Nigeria has relaxed travel rules unlike some other countries, making it difficult for airlines to operate.

Akporiaye says aviation may be the worst hit of COVID-19 but will always recover because people will always travel for businesses, family visits, and holidays and for studies.

As countries begin to relax their travel rules, and people vaccinate, aviation is expected to recover sooner than expected as more connecting flights will operate from Nigeria, she says.

Olumide Ohunayo, an aviation analyst, notes that Nigerians travel irrespective of the circumstances, and that is why there is a forex crisis in the economy.

“School fees, visiting, applications all have not reduced despite the travel restrictions, Nigerians still move. Even without Emirates coming in, Nigerians are going to Ghana and private jets come there to pick Nigerians. This shows the propensity, irrespective of the conditions,” he explains.

Ohunayo notes that Nigeria is a steady market, but unfortunately, no domestic airlines within that have been able to take advantage of this.

“If the government believes in a flag carrier and they give the flag carrier all the support, such as legal protection and subsidies, they will not be thinking about forming a national carrier. Just as domestic travel is building up, so also international travel is building up and with the acceptance of vaccinations, it encourages people to travel,” he says.

He assures that the airlines are coming because the market is there, stressing that if people are not travelling, there will be no increased frequencies or airlines returning.

SEPTEMBER 22, 2021

By Olusegun Koiki 

LAGOS  – Two years after suspending scheduled flights to Enugu International Airport, Ethiopian Airline is set to return operations to the airport. 

A statement by Shimeles Arage, General Manager, Ethiopian Airlines, Nigeria, said that the airline would recommence three weekly flight services to the airport from October 1, 2021, the Nigerian independence anniversary. 

The statement hinted that the airline would deploy its Boeing B787 Dreamliner aircraft to the route, stressing that initially, the flight would operate On Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays of every week for now. 

The statement added: “October 1 is the Nigerian Independence day and the flight to Enugu on that day will reinforce Ethiopian Airlines good relationship with Nigeria since the first flight to Nigeria in 1960.” 

Ethiopian Airlines stopped flights to Enugu in 2019 when the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) shut the airport to refurbish its runway. 

Before the closure of the airport for runway repairs, Ethiopian was the only international airline operating into the airport and since it suspended operations, no international airline operated scheduled flights to the aerodrome. 

The airport was officially opened to domestic flights in 2020 and to international flights in August 2021. Enugu is the capital of Enugu State and was the centre of administration in the former Eastern Nigeria. 

At present, Ethiopian Airlines operates to four airports in Nigeria; Abuja, Lagos, Kano and Enugu. 

SEPTEMBER 23, 2021

BY  Joao Lima, Bloomberg News

Tourists at an outdoor table of a restaurant in Lagos, Portugal, on May 30. , Bloomberg

(Bloomberg) -- Portugal said it will remove limits on the size of groups that can be seated at restaurants from Oct. 1 as it takes the next step in a plan to gradually lift restrictions that were put in place to contain the coronavirus pandemic.

Nightclubs will be allowed to reopen, with a EU digital certificate required at the entrance, Prime Minister Antonio Costa said at a press conference in Lisbon on Friday.

Portugal accelerated its Covid-19 inoculation campaign amid a new surge of cases in June, and more than 80% of the population has now completed vaccination, among the highest rates in the world.

SEPTEMBER 24, 2021

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, has frowned at the disparity in payments of foreign and local workers in parts of the country.

He criticised states in Nigeria that employed and paid foreigners five times higher than their Nigerian counterparts.

Ngige said this when he received the Chairman, Federal Character Commission, Dr Muheeba Dankaka, and other Federal Commissioners during a courtesy visit on Thursday in Abuja.

He regretted that such preferential treatment given to foreigners by some states ahead of their Nigerian counterparts does not encourage national unity and loyalty.

He therefore urged the FCC to use its constitutional mandate to promote national unity and loyalty, rather than concentrate their efforts only on the public sector, especially in job recruitment.

He appealed to the commission to ensure equitable distribution of amenities, infrastructure and social services in the country.

According to the minister, the constitution did not say that you do only cases in the public sector.

“There are areas we need you to look into especially where the constitution is silent.

“We have cases where doctors are employed from Egypt, Cuba and Pakistan and they are paid five times what the Nigerian doctor will get if you convert the foreign exchange they use to pay them.

“But in this country, I was here when some of my teachers left from South East to go and teach in the North East at a time.

“They left because we had enough down there to export to our brothers.

”They were paid with our local currency and given some other incentives, which at the end of the day make the economy of those states to be alright.

“Whether you like it or not, if some people are poor in Nigeria in the poverty index rating, when the Nigerian poverty index is being taken, it will be an aggregate, including those places.

”If it is health, when the health parameters are being taken, it is for the whole. So, FCC can go into that area,” he said.

The minister therefore urged the FCC to persuade the affected state governments to open up and advertise those jobs, so that Nigerians can come whether from South-East, South South or North Central to come and fill the gap.

Ngige also advised the commission to be revolutionary and do new things, using its broad mandate, established by Section 14 (3) of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution (as amended).

“Our constitution is the Supreme law of the land. And any law made by anybody, whether national and state assembly that is in conflict with constitution is void.

“So, you people have a strong mandate from the supreme law of the land.

”I think you should help us build a new country, where we will not be talking about hatred because it is some of these perceptions that cannot even be separated from reality that breeds all the discontent and hate speeches we see.

“We must strive to unite our country. All these North and South, East and West, they are artificial geographical demarcations.

“One body that can unite our country is FCC. As you are here now, you are no longer politicians.

“We count on your chairman that wherever she goes to fly the umbrella of justice, freedom and fair play, we need it for Nigerian workers.

“We need it for Nigerian people. If we distribute schools well, people will go to school in the areas where there are no schools now.

“The almajiris will get western education. When we educate people, we have liberated them from poverty and ignorance which breeds all these security issues all over,” he said.

Ngige noted that the economic situation has eaten into individual pockets for worsening labour dispute issues in the country.

He added that labour unions are now remembering agreements they signed with the previous adminstartions, some dating back to 2009 and even 2002.

“The President said we are alive to our responsibilities and we do not owe any worker salaries.

“The President is strong on that and that is why we have not retrenched anybody. He is also strong on the fact that government is a continuum.

“If they now remember that the previous administration owed them 2009, we will not say no, we will say yes. But we will pay you base on our capacity to pay and ability to pay.

”Those allowances can be stretched and we pay you in tranches. That is what we have been doing with Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Non Academic Staff of Universities (NASU) and Joint Health Staff Union (JOHESU).”

He noted that the resident doctors who were not paid were those illegally recruited by Chief Medical Directors (CMDs) without necessary approval.

“You people know the mandate for recruitment. The Federal Ministry involved will give approval.

“The office of the Head of Service of the Federation and Budget office will give approval.

”These three approvals come to you in Federal Character Commission for final approval and issuing of compliance letter.

“But in the case of these resident doctors, their letters were issued without any of these approvals.

“The CMDs who did that said they thought they could pay them through GFMIS platform, an ad hoc platform used for sundry expenses. Personnel costs have been removed from GFMIS. That is the problem.

”Every payment for personnel costs is done under IPPIS. But now, a waiver has been given. It will come to you in the FCC to give compliance certificate.

”We explained to them that it is not a one bus stop thing. It cannot be done in one day. They said no, we are going on strike.

“You go on strike to force government to regularise an irregularity. It is not done,” Ngige explained.

He also said that the request for compliance letter would be sent to the FCC by the Federal Ministry of Health before the end of the week and urged the commission to give the request expeditious attention.

Earlier, the FCC chairman noted that the commission was established to promote the unity of the country and ensure strong and indivisible nation, fostering sense of belonging, fairness, equality and justice.

Dankaka said they have the mandate to ensure the fair distribution of infrastructure, amenities and social sservice.

She assured that the commission would discharge its mandate in a manner to eschew the feeling of marginalisation from any quarters of the country.

(NAN)

SEPTEMBER 25, 2021

By Wole Oyebade

•Air Peace receives 4th new Embraer jet, pledges to boost services

Local airlines have apologised for multiple delays and cancellations in the air transport service, attributing the discomfort to bad weather that has cost carriers about 60 per cent loss in their operations.

The operators, under the aegis of Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), yesterday, empathised with the travelling public, though assured of efforts to manage the dire situation.

They said this at the reception of Air Peace airline’s fourth brand new Embraer 195-E2 jet, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

Vice Chairman of the AON, Allen Onyema, flanked by other members of the association, said the airlines didn’t take their customers for granted, as every delay is a huge operational and economic loss to the operator.

“No airline delays or cancels flights deliberately. The situation we are having now is partly due to the COVID-19 disruption and also the current rainy season. I have 21 aircraft lying down because Maintenance Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facilities are shut due to coronavirus.

“Weather is also hitting us very badly. As an airline, safety is very key and cannot be compromised. Every delay is a loss in revenue and disruption of the entire network. No one likes it. But this is the season of rain and thunderstorms, which affects airlines’ operations by about 60 per cent,” he said.

Onyema, however, said that the addition of another new aircraft would boost capacity and bring comfort to passengers.

The mid-range equipment is the fourth of 13 expected from Embraer in Brazil, with another 17 aircraft likely to follow the firm’s order.

Onyema, who is also the Chairman of Air Peace, said the addition was a milestone for the local sector. He said though the venture is huge, nothing compares with new aircraft in terms of economic, comfort and safety benefits.

Director General of NCAA, Capt. Musa Nuhu, also described the arrival of the brand new aircraft as a milestone and a paradigm shift for the industry.

Nuhu commended Air Peace chairman not just for investing in a new aircraft, but picking the right type for the market.

“The Embraer aircraft is the right aircraft; it breaks even with low passenger figures. Your maintenance and operational costs are low.

“Another factor is that the new aircraft is absolutely great for the environment; it does less noise and less pollution. I am really proud that I am DG when this paradigm shift is happening. We are all here to work together to grow the industry and we have to give kudos to the entrepreneur. Without such people, all this will not be possible. We need entrepreneurs like Onyema,” Nuhu said.

Air Peace airline in April 2019 placed a record order for 13 brand new Embraer 195-E2 planes. The order comprises purchase rights for another 17 E195-E2 jets. The first, second and third arrived in January, March and June, respectively.

About eight of the 13 are expected to arrive this year, after which Air Peace will place additional firm order for 10 in 2022, bringing the total to 23 new aircraft from Embraer.

President/ CEO, Commercial Business Aviation, Embraer, Arjan Meija, earlier said the E195-E2 would help Air Peace to achieve its ambition of connecting not just all of Nigeria, but the whole of the African continent, while feeding long-haul flights from the Lagos hub.

“Air Peace is also the first airline to configure a premium cabin with our staggered seat option. Each of the 12 Business Class seats is slightly offset from the other to give more space and privacy. There are three rows of seats arranged two-by-two at 51-inch pitch on the 124 seater aircraft. Passengers by the windows have unobstructed access to the aisle; they don’t need to awkwardly step over their seatmates or ask them to move.”

SEPTEMBER 26, 2021

The Ikoyi Office of the Nigeria Immigration Service(NIS) in Lagos, says that it has extended its working days to include Saturdays and Sundays to meet the demands of its applicants.

Mr Ibrahim Liman, the Passport Control Officer (PCO), stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Lagos.

Liman, a Deputy Controller of Immigration (DCI), added that the office also had issued no less than 15,000 passports to qualified applicants since his assumption of office in June 2021.

The official said these while reacting to a series of complaints regarding passport racketeering and cases of uncleared backlogs of passports among others.

He said that his office would fishout and sanctioned offenders appropriately. According to him, the office has extended its operational days to include Saturdays and Sundays in order to meet the demands of thousands of applicants who trooped in , into the office to obtain the documents.

He urged Nigerians to see beyond the fact that the passport is just a travelling document ,saying it should be seen as a security document that would help them in many ways.

He stressed that his office was fully committed to efficient service delivery and it would not relent in justifying its operational mandate.

Liman also warned those who were always indulging in passport racketeering to desist from the act or face severe consequences.

The PCO emphasised that his department had been working unrelentingly to meet the demands of applicants and adhering to due process required in obtaining it.

He explained that some challenges might hinder the timely release of some international passports to prospective applicants.

He said that this would be due to the need for discreet investigation to be conducted by the department on such applicants to determine their eligibility.

Liman, however, stressed that NIS would not hesitate to discipline anyone found to be involved in defrauding or shortchanging any applicants found to be engaging either in sharp practices or any illicit acts capable of spoiling the name of the department.

He said that the Nigeria Immigration Service would continue to remain one of the best passport issuers globally.

” The service has recently introduced additional sophiscticated measures toward checking attitudes inimical to the conduct of its official duties, especially, issues to do with corruption” he added.

He appealed to applicants to always endeavour to visit the NIS Servicom department in all passport offices to make enquiries.

“NIS has reiterated that all qualified prospective seekers of the travel document should apply online,” he added.

He lamented that some applicants used to be impatient and were always in a hurry to push their ways to get the document in few hours and finally get things messed up.

“Can this be done in advanced countries? “I specially appeal to prospective applicants to visit : immigration.gov.ng, which serves as the service website to apply and make payments for their passports” he added.