Travel
FG Reviews Passport Processing Time to Six Weeks
The Federal Government has said it is turning around the entire passport application process by the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) to Six weeks, so as to ensure seamless, transparent, as well as according human dignity to applicants and fulfil citizenship integrity, in line with the mandate of the Ministry of Interior.
The Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (@raufaregbesola) disclosed this today at a meeting with the Comptroller General of Immigration, Mohammad Babandede, Passport Control Officers, as well as the attaches in Nigeria Missions abroad, at the Immigration HQ, Abuja.
In his speech titled ‘A NEW DAWN IN PASSPORT APPLICATION PROCESSING’, the Minister said, “We have had several challenges in the past, including shortage of booklets, touting, racketeering, inflating the cost, passports being issued to ineligible persons, among others.
“It has become imperative therefore to review our operations and rejig our system, in order to be able to offer excellent services to our clients.”
According to him, efforts are on to embed security operatives both seen and unseen, in all passport offices. “They will wear body cameras. They will detect and report any form of solicitations, inflation, improper communications, extortion, diversion, hoarding and other corrupt practices. Those caught will be dealt with according to the law,” he stressed.
The Minister disclosed that an ombudsman will also be created for members of the public to receive complaints and reports on officers trying to deviate from prescribed guidelines.
“Therefore, I am declaring a zero-tolerance stance to all forms of touting. No applicant will be made to pay any illegitimate fees,” he said.
Highlights of the meeting include but not limited to the following:
i. Creation of special centres for expedited services.
These special centres will run on public-private partnership basis. This has already taken off in Abuja and 10 more will be opened in coming weeks as more of such centres will be opened all over the country.
Our goal is to have one in each local government, university campuses, institutions of higher learning and other places.
II. A timeline will be fixed for every application i.e., a collection date. This will be six weeks, comparable to what obtains in other countries.
This is to allow for enough time to investigate and validate personal information supplied by the applicants. What we are driving at is the peace of mind that comes from assurance of certainty. If there are circumstances that will make the date to change, it will be communicated to the applicant one week before the collection date.
iii. Applicants will have no basis for further communication with officers, other than to complete their application process and leave the venue.
The date for the collection of their passports or any challenge to the application, will be communicated to them. The technology for the efficient running of this system has been acquired and will be deployed.
iv. To publish the list of the backlog of applications that are ready which are yet to be collected by the owners. They will be required to go to the State commands to collect them.
With these changes, he said, “It is my firm belief that we will arrive at a new dawn in passport application processing.” He called for the support and maximum cooperation of all passport officers so to make more significant contribution to national development.
“It should be our personal and collective goal to leave an institution better than we met it,” he reiterated.
Aregbesola who expressed gratitude to President Muhammadu Buhari for his consistent support for the Ministry of Interior and all its agencies, also commended the Controller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service, Mohammad Babandede for his tireless efforts and the unprecedented success the agency has recorded under his leadership.
Aregbesola lauded all the officers who are sacrificially serving to man the nation’s borders and do the business of the agency under very challenging conditions. ‘I must thank all our partners, without whose contributions our exertions would have been in vain,’ he stressed.
Earlier, the Comptroller General, Nigeria Immigration Service, Mohammad Babandede said the need to reduce the waiting period for applicants led to the new review.
Travel
BSG and FRSC Announce the 2024 Edition of the “Don’t Drink & Drive” Campaign


The Beer Sectoral Group (BSG) of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), in partnership with the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), is set to launch the 2024 edition of its “Don’t Drink & Drive” campaign.
The two-day event will take place on December 10th and 11th, 2024, targeted at raising awareness on the dangers of drink-driving and ensuring safer roads for all Nigerians.
The campaign will kick off with a media launch at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Ikeja, on December 10th, where key stakeholders will address the media, highlighting the campaign’s goals, achievements, and the importance of continued collaboration in promoting road safety across Nigeria. The event will feature prominent executives from the BSG, FRSC, and other stakeholders in road safety advocacy.
On 11th December, the campaign will shift to three major motor parks—Ojodu, Ojota, and Oshodi—where drivers and road users will be engaged through an educational rally. During the rally, drivers will be sensitized on the dangers of drinking and driving, with a strong emphasis on responsible driving behavior. In addition, the FRSC will conduct voluntary breathalyzer tests at these locations, underscoring their commitment to fostering safer motoring environments across the country.
The 2024 edition of the “Don’t Drink & Drive” campaign promises to continue its tradition of educating the public on the risks of drinking and driving while providing the necessary tools for the FRSC to execute its duties effectively.
The BSG and the FRSC remain steadfast in their mission to reduce road accidents and make Nigerian roads safer for everyone.
Travel
Defence Minister in S’Arabia to Discuss Counter-Terrorism


The Honourable Minister of State for Defence, H.E. Dr. Bello Matawalle is in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to begin talk with the Secretary General of the Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition (IMCTC), Major Gen. Mohammed Bin Saeed Al-Moghedi.
The talks which began at the IMCTC Headquarters in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Monday November 18, 2024 is expected to yield positive results and ideas on how best to approach counter-terrorism in Nigeria.
During the meeting, Dr. Matawalle is expected to talk with other high ranking experts in counter-terrorism fight and logistics management.
GRLife
15 most common Etiquettes that can help you live a better lifestyle


When we talk about etiquettes, you would understand that we are talking about the rules that are governing socially acceptable behavior. It is simply one having a decorum towards things and people. Because the truth is, As long as you co-exist with or Amongst other people and things, there will be times you would likely make mistakes with how you relate to them, But there’s also a bigger room for you to learn the most common rules so as to avoid some silly behaviors.


So here, I’ll be sharing some etiquettes that is most common amongst us which we often fall short of. This etiquettes will help you live better or do things better especially when it involves other people.
Here we go,
- Don’t call someone more than twice continuously. If they don’t pick up your call, presume they have something important to attend to.
- Return money that you have borrowed even before the other person remembers asking for it from you. It shows your integrity and character. Same goes with umbrellas, pens and lunch boxes.
- Never order the expensive dish on the menu when someone is giving you a lunch/dinner. If possible ask them to order their choice of food for you.
- Don’t ask awkward questions like ‘Oh so you aren’t married yet?’ Or ‘Don’t you have kids’ or ‘Why didn’t you buy a house?’ Or why don’t you buy a car? For God’s sake it isn’t your problem.
- Always open the door for the person coming behind you. It doesn’t matter if it is a guy or a girl, senior or junior. You don’t grow small by treating someone well in public.
- If you take a taxi with a friend and he/she pays now, try paying next time.
- Respect different shades of opinions. Remember what’s 6 to you will appear 9 to someone else. Besides, second opinion is good for an alternative.
- Never interrupt people talking. Allow them to pour it out. As they say, hear them all and filter them all.
- If you tease someone, and they don’t seem to enjoy it, stop it and never do it again. It encourages one to do more and it shows how appreciative you’re.
- Say “thank you” when someone is helping you.
- Praise publicly. Criticize privately.
- There’s almost never a reason to comment on someone’s weight. Just say, “You look fantastic.” If they want to talk about losing weight, they will.
- When someone shows you a photo on their phone, don’t swipe left or right. You never know what’s next.
- If a colleague or anyone tells you they have a doctors’ appointment, don’t ask what it’s for, just say “I hope you’re okay”. Don’t put them in the uncomfortable position of having to tell you their personal illness. If they want you to know, they’ll do so without your inquisitiveness.
- Always put “please” before asking someone to help you do something. Remember, you are asking fot a favor, not giving an order.
I hope these etiquettes helps us correct some errors and make us behave more appropriately.
Picture credit: Qed.ng
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