The
Nigerian Immigration Service on Monday refuted claims that President
Goodluck Jonathan directed it to withdraw the diplomatic passports of
some federal legislators.
This clarification followed allegations by the New Peoples Democratic Party, that the President ordered the withdrawal of the travel document.
The Public Relations Officer of the service, Mr. Emeka Obua, issued the denial in a statement in Abuja.
He explained that extant guidelines on
the issuance of such travel documents had not been changed as such; they
remained firmly in place.
The NIS said “…no instruction has been received to review the guideline to target any segment or category of Nigerians.
“Members of the National Assembly are being issued diplomatic passports upon applications.”
Obua appealed to the media to endeavour
to check sensitive information with the service before going to press to
avoid heating up the polity and causing unnecessary disaffection.
The terse statement also read, “We are
committed to acting professionally in the performance of our statutory
duties under the guidance of relevant laws and guidelines.”
The Senate also denied reports that the diplomatic passports of senators had been withdrawn on the orders of the President.
When asked if senators had been given a
directive by any agency of government to submit their diplomatic
passports, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Information and Media,
Senator Eyinnaya Abaribe, replied, “no.”
Also speaking on the same issue, Senator
Danladi Sankara said, “Nobody has asked for my passport and none of my
colleagues informed me of any such directive.”
The Abubakar Baraje-led New PDP
had expressed worry over an alleged presidential directive to the NIS to
withdraw diplomatic passports from the President of the Senate, David
Mark, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal,
as well as all other lawmakers.
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