RE- Nigerian Lady Brutalised, Humiliated And Dehumanised At The Passport Office In Abeokuta

OMG!!!

Thank you for your wonderful platform madam.

 I read the story of that Nigerian lady who was brutalised, humiliated and dehumanised at the passport office in Abeokuta and I was utterly gutted. I write to tell my own disappointing experience on the corrupt practices going on at the passport office in Alausa, Ikeja. This woman's sad story has given me the energy to write this.

As soon as you are sighted, you will be approached by an immigration officer, who pretend to be nice, asking you the type of service you require. They do this simply because they see you as a cash cow (or maga) and want to make money off you. Now, assuming you know a particular officer, as in my case, he/she will send someone in mufti (they usually have a small messenger bag across their shoulder) to give you the form to fill. After this, he collects the filled form and fee, which is usually and absurdly above the authorised fee of N15,000 given on the website. I used the word ‘usually’ because every person I eavesdropped on paid above the authorised fee. I paid N26,000 in cash for a 32-page passport without a receipt (this applied to every person who paid in cash) and I was glad I paid that amount because a friend had told me about someone who paid above N32,000. Though I was pained because I knew the authorised fee before going. I tell you this, in that building, there is no office/desk where one can make payment. All of this is done outside the building but right inside the compound. Again, there is nothing like first come, first served. It is just a matter of how the officer you are connected with act on your file.

When you enter the room where they are to take your capture and digital signature, you are given your file to cross check for any error. While checking my file, my brother notified me of these things: (1) the actual total amount printed was N17,600 and it showed I paid using ‘visa’ (2) my email address which I filled out had been changed to someone else's (3) my mobile number also had been changed to that of the officer who I went through. This meant that I was only able to confirm my collection date through this officer.

Another annoying part was that out of the three officers who were to attend to us, just one officer was available because one was busy eating hot food (one can imagine the inconvenience of the smell) and the other was -- can't really remember exactly but she was also eating intermittently, all this happening while it was still morning.

The confusing part is that quite a large number of the officers attend morning devotion. You would see them rushing down to the back to partake in the praise, worship and prayers  before the opening hour. Though, I do not know if all of them in that very office are part of this corruption but for those who are involved (whether you do attend that devotion or not), kindly search the scriptures on what it says about the wicked, ungodly, unrighteous, sinners. I will help you with some:

(1) “Woe to those who [seek to] hide deep from the Lord their counsel, whose deeds are in the dark, and who say, Who sees us? Who knows us?” Isaiah 29:15 AMP

(2) “The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination, hateful and exceedingly offensive to the Lord, but the prayer of the upright is His delight! [Isa. 1:11; Jer. 6:20; Amos 5:22.]” Proverbs 15:8 AMP

(3) “Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings. Woe unto the wicked! it shall be ill with him: for the reward of his hands shall be given him.” Isaiah 3:10-11 KJV

(4) “The curse of the Lord is in the house of the wicked: but he blesseth the habitation of the just.” Proverbs 3:33 KJV

(5) “God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day.” Psalms 7:11 KJV

(6) “Assuredly [I pledge it] the wicked shall not go unpunished, but the multitude of the [uncompromisingly] righteous shall be delivered.” Proverbs 11:21 AMP

(7) “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” Galatians 6:7 KJV

“That though the wicked spring up like grass and all evildoers flourish, they are doomed to be destroyed forever.” Psalm 92:7 AMP

May God give us all the grace to be upright.

Thank you once more madam.

Anonymous BV