Candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 presidential elections, Peter Obi,
has picked holes in the federal government ‘s latest hike in international passport fees, describing it as an unbearable burden on ordinary Nigerians.
JESNèws reports that the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) this week raised the cost of a 32-page passport booklet to N100,000, while the 64-page booklet will.now. go for N200,000.
Reacting through a statement on his X page, Obi stated that the new charges are outrageous when weighed against the nation’s present nt economic realities.
“The obsession of this administration with putting a burden on the populace is becoming legendary and continues to reveal its apparent disconnect with the people and the suffering,” wrote Obi .
“The international passport fees in Nigeria have now skyrocketed to ₦100,000 for a 32-page booklet and ₦200,000 for 64 pages. This is the third increase in just two years.”
He said Nigeria is probably the only nation in the world where the price of passport is higher than the minimum wage.
“In a country where the new minimum wage is only ₦70,000, the cost of a single passport now exceeds a worker’s monthly salary.
“Instead of making life easier, this government keeps shifting the burden onto ordinary Nigerians. It is alarming that the price of the international passport is higher than what workers earn in a month”, Obi said.
