Aregbesola Commissions New Passport Office in Edo, Honoured By NUJ, Monarch.

By Mike Aladenika.

THE Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola on Saturday, commissioned another passport Front Office in Nigeria, this time around, it was in Auchi, Etsako West local government area of Edo state, as part of the efforts of the federal government to effectively reduce the burden attendant to passport issuance service to Nigerians.

While commissioning the front office Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola said the federal government will soon launch a home delivery service of passports to their owners.

To the minister and former governor of the State of Osun, it was a day of multiple honor as he was turbaned by the Otaru of Auchi, HRH, Alhaji Aliru H. Momoh, Ikelebe III, who installed him as the Rafeeq of Auchi Sacred Kingdom which means he is a bosom friend of the Auchi Kingdom while the Edo State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists(NUJ) honoured the former governor of the state of Osun with a Meritorious and Excellence Award.

Speaking after the commissioning of the new office, Minister Aregbesola said "What we are doing here is significant for two main reasons. The first is the right of Nigerians, especially those in the Diaspora to hold the Nigerian passport. Except for those travelling outside the country or intend to, most of those who hold the passport do so for identification purposes.

"For some, it is also a thing of pride to be able to brandish the green back of the passport. But for those outside the country, the passport is the proof of their existence.

"Inability to produce it on demand may bring untold and unpleasant consequences. The government therefore wants to provide the passport for anyone desirous of it within reasonable time, at affordable price and without any stress whatsoever.

“The second is the need, flowing from the first, to break out of the regular" and promised to conclude negotiations with NIPOST on the usage of its speedy mail service to start delivering passports to Nigerians who opt for such service.

On the award from the NUJ which was presented by the Vice Chairman, Edo State Council of Union, Mrs. Imelda Osayande in company of other leaders of the Union, Areagbesola said “I can’t thank you people enough for this award especially coming from a category of people who are always under pressure of work and for me to discover that I was being watched by these people even when my services as governor and now minister are not particularly linked to Edo state is a call for me to do more than I am doing, I can’t thank you people enough, I must strive to do more” he said.