By Chuks Eke
The Southern Nigeria Peoples’ Mandate, SNPM has expressed concern over the recent increase in the prices of International Passports, saying that the act was President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s continued creation of hardship for the already impoverished Nigerian masses.
SNPM regretted that the increase is coming at a time Nigerians are struggling for survival for the past two years and three months of Tinubu’s administration which they said does not care about what Nigerians are passing through on a daily basis.
In a press statement issued on Monday, SNPM frowned that rather than planning how to alleviate our sufferings, the present administration is planning how to enrich their private pockets by increasing the prices of international passport to the tune of over 100 percent.
According to the statement, “today, a booklet of 50 pages is now N100,000 while a booklet of 100 pages is N200,000, as stated by the Minister of Interior but we can tell Nigerians that this amount as announced by the federal government is not the actual price”.
“If you go to Immigration office, they will tell you the real price of passport. we are saying it because it is not done anywhere in Nigeria. That agency of federal, state and local governments will give you something as official government price but when you go to their office for it, they will tripple the price to you and we hereby challenge them to prove us wrong”.
“Look at the issue of National ID Card. For you to get it, you have to pay N5000 and yet the federal government told us that the ID Card is issued free of charge. This administration claims to be corrupt free but in essence, billions of naira are being stolen from Nigerians under Tinubu’s watch and he kept telling us that his administration has improved our economy, where 1 US Dollar is exchanged for N1650”.
“Prices of commodities have increased by more than 400 percent and this government is not thinking of how to alleviate the sufferings the masses are going through rather their only concern is 2027 election as if they are Almighty God who decides what will happen and what will not happen”.
“SNPM is therefore renewing our calls on President Tinubu to strength our local currency, naira by reducing 1 US Dollar to N50 because this will alleviate our sufferings by more than 600 percent so that the poor can breath”.
“Today, a litre of fuel is N950. Cooking gas is N1200 per kg. Diesel is N1200 per litre and kerosene has gotten out of the reach of poor because it seems Tinubu’s administration agenda is to castrate Nigerians economically, that’s why he is not concerned about the cries of the suffering masses.who are already in hell fire as a result of his poor economic policy”.
“Nigeria has continued to import fuel, while we have the largest refinery in the world. Why can’t federal government stop fuel import? The answer is simple. Because of the money they are syphoning and that is why all our pleas to them to stop fuel import fell on deaf ears”.
