UPDATE: Why Ogbomoso Passport Office Is Delayed

Investigations have revealed why the passport office approved for Ogbomoso by the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) is being delayed while that of Oyo city believably approved at the same time was commissioned during the week.

ogbomosoinsightonline.com learned that the delay is attributed to land issue.

Reacting to the matter Saturday the chairman of Ogbomoso North local government, Hon Kabir Ayoade Akanji said the construction of the office would have been completed but due to bureaucratic bottleneck.

According to him, they planned to erect the structure on a parcel of land within the Oyo State Ultra Modern Market (otherwise known as Wazo Market) opposite LAUTECH, but when clearing of the land was to begin it was pointed out that the land needed to be acquired formally from the Oyo State government through the Ministry of Trade and Commerce, which is the supervising ministry.

”We discussed with them previously on releasing the land to us but it was verbal. When we now took the bulldozer there to begin work it was then it was pointed out that the land ought to be formally obtained and so we were requested to write an official letter.

“We did but officials at the ministry now stated it would be leased saying there would be annual rent. We insisted no and after the intervention of Dr Saka Balogun they consented. We requested ten plots of land but now they had approved three plots free. We are only waiting for the release of the official papers giving the land for the project.

“The moment that is released construction work would commence. Our people have been making donations of construction items for the project. Someone had donated 1, 000 blocks, l even learnt someone had promised to donate a trailer-load of bags of cement.

“Meanwhile, the construction project is no more being coordinated by the local government but by Ogbomoso Parapo and other socio-cultural organizations in the community. The council influenced it and worked on acquiring the land for the project.”

Hon Akanji consequently assured work would begin the moment the letter approving the release of the land from the Oyo State Ministry of Trade and Commerce is released.

Justice Afolabi Adeniran (retd), president of Egbe Omo Ogbomoso Parapo Agbaaye, also informed that the association released about N700, 000 (seven hundred thousand naira) for clearing wondering why that of Ogbomoso had not been done but the above explanation by the chairman of Ogbomoso North local government seemingly cleared that.

He therefore assured the project is on course.

ogbomosoinsightonline.com recalls that the requirement of the NIS at the time of approving the project is that the beneficiary community would undertake the provision.of building which would be according to the approved plan by the agency.

As agitations spiked in Ogbomoso following the news of the commissioning of the Oyo passport office by the Minister of Interior Mr. Rauf Aregbesola during the week it is hoped those in charge of that of Ogbomoso would buckle up moreover when the administration has just three weeks to wind up.

-Ogbomosoinsight