The Nigerians in Diaspora Civic Forum has accused the Nigerian High Commission in the United Kingdom of imposing additional charges on Nigerians seeking to use the Federal Government’s special passport intervention programme.

The group also criticised the Ministry of Foreign Affairs over the alleged charges, which it described as unauthorised and inconsistent with the fees stipulated for passport applications under the intervention.

In a statement signed by its spokesperson, Christopher Babafemi Akinola, the Forum claimed that the additional fees being reported by some Nigerian applicants in the UK originated from the High Commission rather than the Ministry of Interior.

According to the group, information available to it indicated that applicants were being required to make payments beyond the official passport fees.

The Forum said the special passport intervention was introduced to provide Nigerians in the UK with additional options for processing passport applications and renewals.

It maintained that applicants were expected to pay $150 for a five-year passport and $230 for a 10-year passport, excluding applicable bank charges.

“Neither the Ministry of Interior nor the Nigeria Immigration Service has introduced any other charges outside the aforementioned official fees,” the group said.

The Forum also referred to an earlier public position by the Ministry of Interior indicating that consultations were taking place with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs over challenges encountered by applicants using the intervention programme.

It absolved the Ministry of Interior and its minister, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, of responsibility for the disputed charges, arguing that passport services at Nigerian diplomatic missions abroad involve the Ministry of Foreign Affairs because of its responsibility for diplomatic missions and consular operations.

The group further alleged that some of the additional payments, including postal orders payable to the High Commission, were connected to the diplomatic mission and were not charges introduced by the Interior Ministry.

The Guardian has not independently verified the Forum’s claims concerning the additional charges or their origin. But recall that the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, on Monday stated that there are no extra charges for special passport intervention in the United Kingdom (UK). Tunji-Ojo clarified a statement in which he noted with concern the inconvenience experienced by Nigerians in the UK regarding the application and processing of their international passports during the ongoing special passport intervention exercise.

However, the Forum has called on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to clarify the fees being collected from applicants and explain the basis for any payments beyond the stipulated passport charges.

It also urged the ministry and the Nigerian High Commission in London to address difficulties reportedly being experienced by Nigerians seeking to access the passport intervention.

According to the Forum, the initiative by the Ministry of Interior and the Nigeria Immigration Service was intended to provide Nigerians abroad with a more convenient means of obtaining or renewing passports, particularly ahead of increased travel during the Yuletide period.

It claimed that similar interventions had operated successfully in the United States, Canada and other countries, while applicants in the UK continued to encounter difficulties.

The group blamed the situation on the Nigerian High Commission, alleging that practices at the mission were frustrating the objectives of the intervention programme.

It subsequently called for closer coordination among the Nigeria Immigration Service, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Interior and Nigerian High Commission in the UK to resolve the dispute and ensure that applicants receive clear information about applicable charges.

The Forum said greater transparency over the respective responsibilities of the agencies involved would help ensure that the passport intervention serves the purpose for which it was established.