Wetin single parent need to get Nigeria passport for under-age pikin

Di Nigerian Immigration Service don deny allegation say dia personel dey deny women right to get passport for dia pikin without dia papa consent.

Dis one dey come afta some women enta social media for early July to rant say NIS no dey accept consent letters wey single mothers sign alone to take get passport for dia pikin.

Dis one make one group wey dey attend to women matter dem petition di oga of immigration service for Nigeria, Adepoju Carol Wuraola on top di matter.

Dem ask pipo to sign di petition wey dey ask authorities for di Immigration service to implement dia policy wey say make one parent sign consent form for dia pikin to get passport.

Di group say na discrimination against single mothers.

Meanwhile di Nigerian Immigration Service tok say dem no discriminate against anybody.

Tok-tok pesin of Immigration Tony Akuneme tell BBC Pidgin say di requirement na make di two parents of any pikin wey wan get passport sign one consent letter.

But for case wey be say wen na only one parent get full custody of pikin dem need to present court affidavit as prove say dia claim na true.

'My pikin loose school admission sake of Immigration wahala'

One woman say officials of di Nigerian Immigration service deny her pikin passport sake of consent letter.

Di mama of three pikin wey, Carolyn (no be her real name) dey among pipo wey put hand for di petition wey ask NIS to allow single mama get passport for dia minor pikin.

Carolyn say she no fit forget how she bin chop accuse from immigration officers say she be human trafficker sake of she wan try get passport for her child wey wan go school abroad.

Di woman say di incident happun afta her pikin bin request make she send am go school abroad and she begin process di admission process.

Gbege bin start wen she reach point to upload passport of her pikin and she go immigration office for Lagos to get di passport.

She say afta dem reach point of capturing officials tell am say she go need bring letter from di papa of di boy bifo dem go kotinu di process.

“I bin tell dem say I no get any informate from di papa, dem say dem no go fit do anytin if I no bring consent letter, I feel bad and pipo advise me to go anoda state”.

She say she bin first no like di idea to go anoda state but later decide to do so sake of di boy don secure admissions for two universities abroad and time don begin go so her pikin no go loose di admission.

“Afta I go anoda state, I bin opt for express service and I pay 90, 000 naira”. She tok.

Di mother explain say dem meet brick wall again for di state wen e reach time for capturing and she no fit consent letter from her son papa.

Carolyn say dat na wen di immigration officials begin kwesion am about her relationship wit di pikin wey need passport.

She explain say dem no gree listen to her despite her explanation say na only her bin dey take care of all her pikins since over 13 years ago wey she separate wit dia papa.

Dem also question me say why I no bear dia papa surname if I claim say na me born dem, Carolyn further tok.

“Meanwhile we no do court or church wedding, na traditional wedding we do wen I bin wan marry my ex-husband”.

“My passport dey bear my maiden name sake of say I never change my name while I bin married to dia papa”.

Dem interrogate me so tey, one of dem even accuse me say I be one of those pipo wey dey traffic children go abroad, she further tok.

“Na dat point my pikin begin cry”.

Las-las na my cousin wey later reach out to my ex-husband and he later send di letter wia e sign im consent.

Carolyn later dey able to get di passport afta di she provide di document wey authorities ask.

Meanwhile part of di requirement wey dey di official website of di Nigerian Immigration Service na say “Letter of consent from either parent”.

Wetin single parent need for under-age pikin passport application

Tok-tok pesin of Nigerian Immigration Service Tony Akuneme explain to BBC Pidgin say any document wey dem ask na based on requirement.

E explain say di reason be say immigration office dey try avoid cases wia any man go sue di service afta dem don give passport to dia pikin wit only di mama consent.

“If you be single mother get affidavit wey show who you be, we no want case wia pipo go show up wit anoda pesin pikin to get passport di next day dia papa take us go court.

Di Nigerian Immigration Service no dey against single parenthood but official prove suppose dey to back any claim of divorce or case of no marriage ever.''

E say na international standard make parents give consent during immigration process for any part of di world.

E charge Nigerians say make dem dey patriotic, e add say dia support dey important to make institutions stronger.

According to di informate ontop NIS website, di following na di document wey single parent gatz bring wen dem do passport for dia under-age pikin dem:

- Completed passport application form wey dem attach with 1 passport sized photograph of minor wey di consenting parent(s) gatz endorse on di reverse side.
- Evidence of Nigerian citizenship of parent(s).
- Birth certificate (certificate gatz be from by di National Population Commission for minors born within Nigeria).
- Letter of consent from either parent.
- Court affidaivit - wia one parent no dey di picture again (dis na according to wetin NIS toktok pesion tok for interview wit BBC Pidgin)
- Acknowledgement Slip and Evidence of Payment.
- Court Order and Letter of approval from State Ministry of Women and Child Development (Dis Requirement na strictly for adopted pikin).