FG Clears 200,000 Passport Backlogs, Pays ₦28bn Debt Without Extra Funding - AMEBO NEWSPAPERS NG.

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Tuesday, 27 May 2025

FG Clears 200,000 Passport Backlogs, Pays ₦28bn Debt Without Extra Funding






The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has announced significant progress in passport processing and debt clearance since assuming office. 


Speaking at the Access Bank Guest Lecture Series in Lagos on Monday, Tunji-Ojo revealed that over 200,000 unprocessed passport applications have been cleared and ₦28 billion in legacy debts settled all without any additional government funding.


Delivering a lecture titled “Dare to Dream, Dare to Innovate,” the Minister emphasized the importance of visionary leadership, innovation, and the smart use of technology.

“Leadership is not about reacting to problems, it is about foreseeing and solving them before they occur. And for that, you must always ask: What is your purpose? How will you execute it? And when is the right time to act?” Tunji-Ojo said.

He credited the achievements to the deployment of new systems, including e-visa platforms, contactless passport renewals for Nigerians abroad, and advanced passenger tracking tools.


Tunji-Ojo also shed light on the dire state of Nigeria’s correctional facilities, highlighting that over 4,000 inmates remain in prison solely because they cannot afford to pay fines as low as ₦50,000.


“This is not a legal crisis; it is a moral one. A society that punishes poverty more harshly than crime has lost its moral compass,” he stated.


He added that the ministry is collaborating with private donors to secure the release of non-violent offenders and is pushing reforms focused on rehabilitation over punishment. 


These include digital case tracking, vocational training for inmates, and public-private partnerships to improve prison infrastructure.

“A correctional facility must correct, not condemn. Justice without dignity is injustice in disguise,” he added.


Chairman of Access Holdings, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, lauded Tunji-Ojo’s results-driven approach, saying:


“Innovation is not about big budgets, it is about big thinking. The Minister’s work reflects what true public service should be.”


The lecture, which attracted leaders from the public and private sectors, was part of Access Bank’s ongoing initiative to inspire national transformation through dialogue on leadership and service.


In closing, Tunji-Ojo encouraged attendees to live purposefully and strive for excellence:

“Let Access Bank not just be a financial institution, let it be a philosophy. 

Let Nigeria not just be a country of potential, let it be a nation of performance. It is time to refine our genius, not just export it.”

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