A revered traditional ruler in Abia State HRM Eze Sir Innocent Adiele Nwaigwe, Chairman Umuahia North Council of traditional rulers have taken to his social media handles to express his reactions to the recent increase in passport fees.
Eze Nwaigwe emphasized on the hike in essential things in the country, noting that it has direct effect on the citizenry which is unleashing the untold hardship on them.
According to him, government should categorize it with the view to ascertain the level at which one wants it.
Eze Nwaigwe said, ” the senators and other national assembly members should have their VIP rate, not when a retired civil servant is going for medicals or urgent care he will be looking for money to pay passport”.
He called on the leadership of the country to consider most actions before embarking on them, adding that what Nigerians need most now is productivity that will engage the people meaningfully.
On Wednesday night, August 21, the Nigeria Immigration Service issued a statement announcing a price hike for passport printing.
According to the statement, the cost for a 32-page passport booklet with a 5-year validity, which was previously set at Thirty-five Thousand Naira (N35,000.00), will now be Fifty Thousand Naira (N50,000.00). Similarly, the fee for a 64-page passport booklet with a 10-year validity has risen from Seventy Thousand Naira (N70,000.00) to One Hundred Thousand Naira (N100,000.00).
The statement also clarified that the fees will remain unchanged for Nigerians living abroad.
This development has sparked widespread discussion on social media as Nigerians voice their opinions.
