Zango Raises Concerns Over Alleged Disparity in Passport Policy Rollout
By Ahmad Tijjani Abdul
KANO –Celebrated broadcaster, Nasiru Salisu Zango, on Thursday questioned what he described as an uneven rollout of Nigeria’s new passport processing policy.
In a statement issued in Kano, the renowned broadcaster with millions of followers alleged that Kano is being subjected to restrictions that do not appear to apply to passport offices in Lagos.
Zango said the implementation has raised concerns over fairness, arguing that Lagos, with several passport processing centres, has not been affected in the same manner as Kano.
According to him, Lagos has at least five passport offices located in Ikoyi, Alausa, Festac, Alimosho and Ikorodu, all of which continue to provide passport-related services.
He questioned the rationale behind the policy’s implementation, insisting there was no justification for Kano to be among the states feeling its impact while Lagos remained largely unaffected.
“Is Kano larger than Lagos? Does Kano have a bigger population than Lagos? Yet this new policy is being implemented in places like Kano first. Please, what have we done wrong?” Zango asked.
The veteran broadcaster also claimed that a senior official of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) informed him that the Lagos passport offices had not been brought under the new arrangement currently being enforced in some other locations.
Zango maintained that his intervention was not an opposition to the passport reform itself but a call for equity in its implementation.
“We are only asking for justice and equal treatment. Every Nigerian should be served under the same policy, regardless of where they live,” he said.
He urged the Immigration Service to ensure uniform application of the policy across all passport centres, warning that any perception of selective implementation could undermine public confidence in the reform.