The Nigerian Consulate General in New York, Amb. Lot Egopija, says that no less than 1,328 passports produced at the mission have yet to be collected.
Egopija told the Nigerian News Agency (NAN) in New York that the passports were among the backlogs cleared, but had not yet been collected by applicants.
The Nigerian envoy said clearing passport backlogs was in line with the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) directive.
He said the arrears were due to the closure of the consulate from March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the skeletal services rendered to the mission after the gradual resumption of activities.
The Nigerian envoy added that the consulate had also opted for an intervention on passports in 2019, the production of which had not been completed before the pandemic.
“You recalled that last year (2020), at the heart of COVID, the Consulate had opted for a passport intervention in the past, in 2019 and all that.
“And they didn’t produce these passports for one reason or another, but it’s been done now; we have to tell those whose biometrics have been done to come and collect their passports.
“Another group of people was the one who entered the consulate and did their biometrics, but due to the scarcity of some materials, they couldn’t get their passports.
“They could not have their passport produced because when they were asked to come and pick it up; therefore, these are part of it.
“And in accordance with the decision of the immigration authorities to produce all the passports requested and the biometric data taken, we also clean; all missions have been ordered to do the same. ”
Egopija said the consulate was doing everything possible to ensure that the passports that had been produced reached the owners.
The envoy said those who live far from New York City shouldn’t have to worry about coming to the mission to collect their passports.
“All they (applicants outside of the New York area) have to do is send pre-addressed envelopes that will match the addresses they gave us when they made those passports that way.
“We will get there, but for the few who have come here; we check if they get their passports back so they don’t fall into the wrong hands.
“For those who may not have access to the website, we have also created a WhatsApp group and will also pass it on to all associations registered with the mission.
“These associations will in turn inform their concerned members to come forward for their passports.
“We are trying to make sure that every Nigerian who has applied and whose biometrics are entered gets their passport.
Egopija said the consulate devoted an hour a day, from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m., collecting passports so as not to synchronize the daily routine of the mission.
He said the response to the collection has been good so far, saying, “We are starting to receive people who come forward to collect.” (NAN)
