The Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS says the scarcity of the country’s International passport is as a result of the inability of the Central Bank of Nigeria to provide foreign exchange.
The agency’s position was corroborated by the indigenous firm recruited to produce e-passports for Nigeria at an investigative hearing on the proposed domestication and processing of the Nigerian International passport.
In 2007, the Nigerian government signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Iris Smart Technology, an indigenous company to produce International passports for Nigeria.
Part of the agreement was also for the firm to produce the passports in Nigeria to save the country of foreign exchange.
This fact-finding panel of the House of Representatives is out to ensure fairness, equity and justice on the part of all concerned as Nigeria seeks to domesticate the production of International passports.
The company, Iris Smart Technology Limited laments the non availability of foreign exchange from the Central Bank of Nigeria to carry out its operations effectively.
It also accuses the Nigeria Security Minting and Printing PLC of sabotaging its efforts because the government agency failed to secure the contract for the production of the passports.
It says government has made over $200 million dollars from issuance of e passports to citizens outside the country and more than N100 billion in Nigeria since the commencement of the contract in 2007.
On its part, the NlS said the firm has yet to meet up the set target of 10 million international passports as agreed in the self financing contract between it and the Ministry of Interior.
Now, the contract for local production has been rewarded to another firm and here lies the bone of contention.
But the Nigeria Immigration Service says a seamless transition process has been put in place to relieve Iris Smart Technology of the production of passports
But the arrival of the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, puts paid to the public hearing.
He seeks the indulgence of the Committee for the sitting to continue behind closed doors for security reasons
The House of Representatives had kicked against the production of Nigerian passports by a private firm abroad.
The parliament condemned the practice and described it as a security threat to the company.
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