- Safiu Kehinde
A Sweden-based Nigerian woman has decried the delay in passport renewal processing abroad as she shared her harrowing experience at the Nigerian embassy.
The lady, simply identified by her X handle, @lifeinsolace, had in a post shared on Tuesday recounted how she had arrived at embassy with other Nigerians who came all the way from Denmark, Norway, Iceland, and other countries with the hope of getting their biometrics done.
Their hope was however dashed as the embassy announced having connection issue with Abuja for the biometrics capturing.
“I went to the Nigerian embassy in Sweden yesterday to renew my passport.
“You won’t believe what happened. People had travelled from Denmark, Norway, Iceland, Finland, and various parts of Sweden just for their biometrics. None of them were captured. The excuse given was “no connection from Abuja.”
“All of us, whether we had appointments or not, ended up going home empty-handed. The costs of flights, trains, and ferries were wasted just like that. We were simply told to come back anytime.
“Nigeria is such a disgraceful country. This isn’t the first time it’s happened, and it’s not limited to the embassy in Sweden.
“Other embassies have faced the same issues. The ambassador in Sweden was a genuinely kind man; he kept coming down to address us and offer his sympathies.” She wrote.
The lady however admitted that the Nigerian embassy in Sweden used to be one of the best for passport renewals in Europe.
The deterioration in the service however left many Nigerians frustrated with a Finland-based man opting to sleepover in Sweden pending the time the connection is restored.
“The Nigerian embassy in Sweden has long been one of the best for passport renewals in Europe. In the past, you could go there and walk out with your new passport the same day. But now that they no longer have the authority to print passports, it’s become a complete mess.
“Someone I met there said it was his second trip from Finland, only to encounter the same problem (no connection) again. He refused to return home, saying he couldn’t afford another ticket, so he decided to stay in a hotel.
“This is the first time I’ve seen or heard of a citizen showing up for an appointment at their own country’s embassy, only to be turned away due to “no connection” with headquarters, and with no compensation for travel expenses. Nothing at all!” She added.