Interior Minister Knocks NIS for Asking Married Women to Travel to Abuja for Change of Name

Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo has frowned at the many man-made encumbrances regarding change of passport data by Nigerians, especially married women, saying it is a “stupid practice” to subject such women to the rigours of travelling to the Nigeria Immigration Service NIS headquarters in Abuja just to effect a data change.

Speaking at a recent dinner with members of the Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu ABAT Media Centre and some social media influencers in Abuja, Hon. Tunji-Ojo said there was nowhere in the world where women were subjected to such inhuman practice on account of marriage.

He queried whether immigration personnel in Abuja have more than one heads as opposed to those in the various passport offices across the federation.

“There is one stupid thing I have seen and it is that a woman gets married, changes her name and then she has to come to Abuja all the way from say Kaura Namoda or Enugu just to come and effect a change of name in her passport. It is absurd.

“I can’t just figure it that you want to change just your name and you have to be in Abuja. I have asked the immigration act people, is it that immigration people in Abuja have more than one head than those in the states?”, he asked.