Bauchi State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board has secured over 80 percent of visas for the state intending pilgrims who are set to perform the 2024 hajj in Saudi Arabia.

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The executive secretary of the board Imam Ibrahim Idris made this known when he flagged off the distribution of hand bags and uniforms to the intending pilgrims in Bauchi yesterday.

He said Bauchi has 2,680 prospective pilgrims, adding that the board had already printed over 2,200 visas.

While working toward the timely receiving of the visas to other intending pilgrims, Idris said his board had made adequate arrangements to release the flight schedule.

He described the uniforms as identities for all pilgrims during hajj and urged them to always wear their uniforms for identification right from hajj camp in Bauchi and when performing rites in Saudi Arabia.

He also advised them to sew their uniforms on time, noting that the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) had fixed May 15, 2024 to commence the outbound airlift of Nigerian pilgrims to Saudi Arabia.

As part of efforts to ensure a successful pilgrimage, the Lagos State Government is set to begin the administrative and medical screening for the Y2024 intending pilgrims.

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A statement signed by the Board Secretary, Mrs. Yetunde Gbafe said the screening exercise is scheduled to hold by 9 am on Tuesday, 16th April 2024 at the Chapel of Christ The Light Church, Alausa, Ikeja.

While imploring all intending pilgrims to attend the compulsory exercise, Mrs. Gbafe also enjoined them to come with their yellow card, one passport photograph, an international passport and, original copies of all receipts/tellers of payments.
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Worried by difficulties surrounding the scarcity of e-passport booklets, due to non-payment of huge outstanding production debt to vendors and major stakeholders involved in the value chain of the travel document, the federal government and the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) have initiated ways to offset the N16bn debt to boost production of passports.

The federal government has held several meetings with the Nigeria Immigration Service and concerned stakeholders to address the embarrassing situation.

According to the source, “the federal government and the NIS called for dialogue on the part of all critical stakeholders. The government promised to do something regarding the bureaucratic bottleneck which has been responsible for delays in payments for services rendered.”

While revealing that there is another leg to the discussions, the source disclosed further, that the Nigeria Customs Service, and the Nigeria Immigration Service were working in synergy as government institutions to address the challenges since both are expected to key into the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu.

Recall that the shortage of the passport booklets was caused by the illegal monthly deductions of 50 per cent fund from the income paid into the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) Treasury Single Account (TSA) from passport sales, specifically opened for the acquisition of the e-passports, by the Minister of Finance and the Accountant General of the Federation (AGF).

Also, LEADERSHIP quoted a top source at the Passport Office, Nigeria Immigration Service headquarters, as explaining that the misconception is that the gross income paid by passport applicants goes directly to the NIS TSA, from where the service is supposed to make payment to all stakeholders involved in the passport production value chain.

The source, had lamented that, before the said income drops, the federal government, which regards the money as net income, takes out 50 per cent while leaving the Immigration Service with nothing reasonable to pay its vendors and other stakeholders.

He said, “Let me give you an example, the cost of the 32-page passport booklet outside Nigeria is $132, while the cost of the 64-page category is $230. If you apply outside Nigeria and you pay in dollars, the money goes straight into the Federal Account which is shared amongst the three tiers of government every month by the Federation Account Committee (FAAC).”

He further revealed then that, “Our service providers are owed over N16 billion while printed booklets are stuck in warehouses due to our inability to offset these huge debts.”

The source further explained then, “that there are booklets to be delivered to the NIS by the printers, but they are stuck in Nigeria Customs Service and DHL warehouses due to the huge debts owed them.

“The Customs Service, DHL and two Nigerian banks are amongst service providers that are insisting on the payment of their outstanding N16 billion balance before the documents would be released to us.

“As a matter of fact, we are meant to understand that the manufacturing firms based Slovenia, Malaysia, and another in Malta handling the e-passport projects are yet to be reimbursed in line with our agreement to always make payment two weeks after printing and supplying the e-passports,” he stated.

Giving more insight about the strategies being explored, the top source said, “I believe on the basis of the synergy, (payments or no payments) the booklets in the warehouses of the Nigeria Customs Service would be released to the NIS very soon.

“I must, however, commend the Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, for his tenacity and strength of character. He has raised the bar for excellent and exemplary service for the NIS.

“The first time we had this challenge, only God knows how he navigated the systems and ensured that service providers and other vendors in the passport value chain got paid. Of course, I would not rule out the possibility of having the President’s ears, or he enjoys his confidence,” he concluded.