Immigration Issues New 10-Year Passport To Lagos State Deputy Governor, Hamzat

CYRIACUS IZUEKWE

The Nigeria Immigration Service ( NIS) has issued the Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, with the new10 years enhanced International passport launched recently.

P.M.EXPRESS reports that the Deputy Governor, Hamzat, was the first person to be issued the 64 page International passport with new innovation including Bank Verification Number and National Identification Number.
Dr. Hamzat, who represented the Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, in the unveiling and issuance of the passport, said he was happy with the new innovation by the Service saying that the exercise was bordered on national security.
According to him, the State Government will key into the system to get database of the citizens resident in Lagos.

“I may have known a person or his parents, but without data base, we may not know you very well. With the data base by the immigration, we will be able to know our citizens better. We have to use data base to query things.
“We have to commend people, organizations when they do good things. The passport is superb. Everything about it is good. I want to thank President Muhammadu Buhari for approving the new passport. The Lagos State government will continue to partner with the Service. I have just been captured and the passport was issued within 25 minutes. I have gone round the facilities and I am convinced that NIS is fully prepared for the job of issuing the new enhanced passport” Dr. Hamzat said.

On his own, Comptroller -General of Immigration, Mr. Mohammed Babandede, who welcome Dr. Hamzat, said the Service has successfully launched the enhanced e-Passport by President Buhari in January this year.

“The Service has successfully rolled out the document in Abuja and today, we are here at the heart of the commercial centre of the country for the second phase of the roll out starting with the Deputy Governor of Lagos State.”

“After 10 years of issuing the e-Passport, the Service in 2017 found it expedient to review the document in line with International Civil Aviation Organisation’s requirement with a view to improving the security of the document viz-a-viz latest technology and global best practices. The philosophy behind it is national security and ease of doing business. That is why it has 20 additional security features, including the National Identity Number for robust identity management in Nigeria.
“The document also has different menu, one of which is 64 pages, 10 year validity passport which will save Nigerian businessmen’s time and resources of frequent visit to passport offices. The new passport has poly carbonate technology which makes it more durable” Babandede said.