There was a disagreement between members of the House of Representatives and the Minister of Interior, Mr. Abba Moro, on Friday, over the number of persons qualified to hold a diplomatic passport.
At the moment, 41 categories of persons qualify to carry the document.
However, the lawmakers were of the view that the number was unwieldy and should be cut down.
But Moro disagreed, canvassing the inclusion of the spouses of holders on the list.
The lawmakers observed that the passport was easily abused by holders, who continued to use it after they might have left office.
Chairman, House Committee on Interior, Mr. Umar Bature, said, "Over the years, there hasbeen dispute over who should carry the diplomatic passport.
"At a time it was causing friction between the Executive and the Legislature.
Currently, there are 41 categories of personseligible to carry the passport.
"How do we stem abuses? For instance, after you have left the service and the passport is yet to expire, are you still entitledto hold it and if not how do we retrieve it?
Lawmakers and Moro argued during a public hearing on a bill for 'An Act to Amend the Passport (Miscellaneous Provision) Act Cap.pl Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004, so as to Clearly Define Persons Eligible for the Issuance of Diplomatic and Official Passports,' organised by the Joint Committeeon Interior/Judiciary.
The legislators sought to whittle down the powers of the President as the sole office authorising issuance of the passport.
The minister canvassed an increase in the number of beneficiaries. He also kicked against any proposal to reduce the powers of the President.
Moro noted that countries should use their sovereign rights to control the issuance of the passport in spite of the provisions of theVienna Convention on the document.
He added, "There are individuals that are allowed to travel with the President. For example, a governor who accompanies the President. The governor has to be at par with the President.
"If the Senate President for example is travelling with his wife, he carries a diplomatic passport and his wife a green passport, they will be on two different lines; you are going against the Biblical injunction that what God has joined together, no man should put asunder."
The committee chairman again disagreed with Moro. He said that sometimes people travelled for business, but used the cover of a diplomatic passport.
"Without sentiment, we need a reduction of those that are beneficiaries of the passport. If you are on business, you have no businesscarrying the passport.
"We have instances of the discretionary power of the President: I remember there was a minister that was delayed in America for carrying $250,000 and he was carrying adiplomatic passport.
"Those that can carry diplomatic passport have been defined. If the President directs otherwise, he must be advised. If you are not on a diplomatic mission, you have no business carrying it. We should not give the President a blanket power to give out diplomatic passports," Bature insisted.