Assessing Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola’s Performance on Passport Production As Minister Of Interior

A total of four million, five hundred and ninety-one thousand, fifty-five (4,591,055) passports out of the four million seven hundred and thirty-six thousand, seventy-five (4,736,075) passport applications were issued between August 2019 and May 2023, when Ex Osun governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola was the Minister of Interior, Osun Defender gathered.

Aregbesola was inaugurated alongside other ministers in August 2019.

According to data available to the Osun Defender, the passports issued during Aregbesola’s time as the minister amounted to 96.94 per cent.

The medium gathered that in 2019, 470,363 passports were issued, and 780,470 passports were issued in 2020. In 2021, a total number of 1,057,908 passports was issued while 1,621,703 passports were issued in 2022. In 2023, the ministry issued 660, 611 passports before the exit of Aregbesola in office.

Speaking with the medium, a source in the Ministry who does not want her name in print because she was not authorised to speak, said the backlog of passports recently amassed in the system was created after Aregbesola left office.

According to the source, there was no backlog in the system as of May when the former two-term governor of Osun State handed over.

It would be recalled that in 2023, the Ministry under Aregbesola’s supervision, opened more passport front offices to ease applications with new offices opened in Daura, Katsina; Zaria, Kaduna; Ilesa, Osun; Auchi, Edo; Oyo, Oyo; and Alimosho, Lagos States.

Before the launch of the new offices, the medium gathered that front offices were only located at the State House, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, National Assembly and Sagamu.

Also, during Aregbesola’s time as Minister, enhanced passports were launched in Ottawa, Canada; New York, USA; Atlanta, USA; Washington, USA; London, UK; FCT, Abuja; Kano and all states in the South-South, South West and South East of Nigeria.

Some of the passport reforms introduced during Aregbesola’s time as Minister include the establishment of standard operating procedures, elimination of all cash payments at the passport office, and introduction of an online appointment system.

Others are, Tracking passport applications in real time online and Introduction of a standardised timeline for passport collection. Three weeks of reissue/ renewal and six weeks for fresh application.

• Kazeem Badmus