Trolls supporting Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, the minister of interior, have launched an attack on FIJ’s story that revealed that passport processing time still takes as long as six months, despite the minister’s new policy to dismantle the long wait time.

They argued that the reporting was flawed because the minister has been in office for less than six months, hence the success of his policy cannot yet be measured.

Tunji-Ojo had made a commitment to cut passport processing time to two weeks. On September 5, he had claimed that a page was being set up on the ministry’s website specifically for the collection of complaints and enrollment numbers of passport applicants who did not receive their passports within the two-week time frame. That page was to be ready in two weeks, according to the minister.

“I assure you that it is not going to be business as usual. Part of what we are doing at the moment is creating a page on our website. I believe in the next two weeks it should be up. And within the next couple of days, the social media platforms will be up,” he had said.

“What it means basically is that any Nigerian, if you apply for your passport and it goes beyond two weeks before your passport is issued to you, you can send us your enrolment number and the specific passport office. There are officers now that have been delegated to that responsibility.”

Responding to FIJ’s story, one Omo Kayode wrote on microblogging platform, X: The minister has not spent up to six months in office, so what’s the basis of your investigation?”

Another X user, Ugochukwu, wrote that it was “faulty reporting”. “The minister is barely two months in office and, as such, can’t be held responsible for this your assertion,” he claimed.

Similarly, Adebola Mohammed wrote, “Now this is desperation. And people are so happy in the comment section. This guy has only been there for two months.”

You would need six months after the cleared backlog of passports of two weeks ago to affirm this- except you time travelled into the future in your investigation and returned to us in this 2023 October. https://t.co/G2FgAhtwPo

— Olufemi Adebimpe (@femiadebimpe) October 13, 2023

The minister was sworn in on August 21, 2023, less than two months ag
So, I don't understand the 6 months claim. https://t.co/sBa41bedF4

— David Fátúnmbí (@davidfatunmbi) October 13, 2023

Despite your findings, to say "still takes 6 months" is wrong and fallacious in every way. You can only count from the time the minister made the promise.
+ Most people kikiing did not even read the article…. Once it's sha negative, una go dey happy… Smh https://t.co/l6Citizoro

— Adeleye Adeyemi (@Adescuma) October 13, 2023

Many more similar aspersions followed:

“Six months! Journalists need to start investigating themselves and not just listen to hearsay.” Taiwo Olawuyi wrote.

“Less than two months in office, but you’ve drawn a six-month timeline. Did he make the promise as a civilian or what? You need your spot back in the propaganda war; you’re welcome back,” @kennygee_70, an X user, wrote.

READ ALSO: Nigerian Businessman Lost Travel Opportunity Because Immigration Officer ‘Faked’ His Data Capture

“The minister himself hasn’t even spent six months in office. What did you confirm exactly?” posted one Olayimika.

“I’m not sure the math works here. Minister’s tenure is not up to six months yet, right?” @ade_adedapo wrote.

“The minister has not been up to three months in office. How did you arrive at your six-month conclusion?” wrote Lagospedia

“You are assessing someone based on a time frame he hasn’t even reached. Has he been in office for up to six months?” Victor Donjer posted.

The trolls are discrediting FIJ’s story on the assumption that passport wait time cannot be said to be up to six months despite the minister’s promise, since he has only been in office for less than two months. But their assertions are based on a false premise.

A fortnight from September 5 was September 17, and FIJ can confirm that there is still no such page on either the Ministry of Interior or NIS’ website.

In order to determine if the NIS had begun implementing the minister’s two-week passport issue mandate, FIJ obtained confirmation slips from new applicants whose data were captured on Wednesday at the Alausa office.

A slip obtained from one of the applicants showed a six-month wait time until passport collection.

This development was at least one month after the minister’s new passport issue policy, which limited processing time to two weeks and is evident in the collection date in the confirmation slip below.

READ ALSO: CONFIRMED: Despite Minister’s Claims, Passports Still Take 6 Months to Process in Lagos — Or a Lot of Bribes

On Thursday, FIJ called the NIS’ complaint and inquiry desk to report the situation witnessed during the Alausa visit, and the officer made sure to remind us that the minister was a political officer while staff of the NIS were career officers.

“Already, there is a programme on ground that says that when you are doing a renewal, it’s for three weeks, and if you are doing it fresh, it’s for six weeks, and then if you are doing a change of data, it’s for three months,” he said.

“For the old process, I know. For the new process, I don’t know. We can only quote what the minister said.”

While the NIS recorded significant progress clearing passport application backlogs on the orders of the minister, they have yet to record the same with cutting down passport issuance time.

FIJ’s findings show that the minister failed to implement the measures and policies he committed to within the timeline he gave.