FG Tasks Interior Ministry, others on service delivery, internal security

Razaq Bamidele

Security agencies in the country have been tasked by the Federal Government to serve the Nigerian people through service delivery and strengthening of internal security.

Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, delivered the message Thursday in Ilorin, Kwara State capital at the Second Ministerial Retreat of the Ministry.

His words: “At the back of our mind, we must never forget, above all things, that our main purpose is to serve the people by strengthening internal security and give all the people resident in the country the peace of mind they deserve.”

In addition, Minister Ogbeni also charged the agencies under his Ministry to forge a strategic alliance with sister agencies across the board, asserting that, it is also important for the four agencies to forge strategic alliances with other agencies, especially in the light of new security challenges to our facilities and the nation at large.

This retreat, according to him, “should also afford us critical and creative thinking and original solutions and ideas,” insisting that, “everyone should speak freely but creatively and intelligently and no one should be a bench warmer.”

On the recent incessant attacks from external forces on the Custodial Centres of the Nigerian Correctional Service, NCoS, Aragbesola noted that men of the underworld have capitalized on the general security challenges in the country to lead unconscionable attacks on her facilities, but that the Federal Government is rising up to the new challenges posed by these unwarranted attacks.

“I must address the scourge of recent vicious attacks on our custodial facilities. Men of the underworld have capitalised on the general insecurity in the country to lead unconscionable attacks on few of our centres. Our gallant officers and men of different security agencies have given their all, including sacrificing their lives to protect these centres. May God grant those who have died eternal rest and comfort the family they have left behind. As a government, we will continue to support the families of our heroes.

“We are in extraordinary times as a nation. We are facing unique challenges that will define how we live, moving forward. As a result, there is no shortage of work to be done, or responsibilities to bear. The Federal Government is rising up to the new challenge posed by these attacks.

“We have commenced retraining of our officers to respond to these attacks, whilst providing more sophisticated weaponry for their use. We have invested in the construction of 3,000 modern capacity custodial centres in each of the six geo-political zones,” the Minister declared.

Setting the tone of the retreat rolling, the Aregbesola noted that there is an urgent need to put in place well-thought-out policies and programmes that would ensure effectiveness and efficiency and toward improving internal security, according to the mandate handed down by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Hear him further: “In order to achieve Mr President’s mandate, there is an urgent need to put in place well-thought-out policies and programmes that would ensure effectiveness and efficiency toward improving internal security. There is a need to determine where we are on the delivery of internal security, the challenges and the limitations. These would enable us to develop plans and strategies with timelines for effective service delivery.

“As a Ministry and Agencies, we must work towards improving on the following, amongst others; Ensuring and maintaining relative public safety and security of all Nigerians and foreign nationals’ residents in country; Timely processing of applications for Business Permit and Expatriate Quota Positions in a manner that would promote the transfer of skills to Nigerians and create employment while enhancing internal security; Prompt processing of all citizenship-related applications and encouragement of wider spread of Marriage Registries nationwide.”

Earlier in his welcome address, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr. Shuaibu Belgore, stated that the Ministry will serve as a means of evolving solutions to the several security challenges confronting the country.

“This retreat will serve as a platform for the Ministry and Agencies to evolve solutions for the various internal security challenges affecting the nation. The topic of this retreat has been carefully selected to illuminate the focus of the Ministry’s mandate and identity of our challenges,” stated Dr. Shuaibu.

The retreat which continues on Friday, 10 December, through Saturday, 11 December 2021 with the theme “Developing Internal Security and Public Safety towards a Five-year Strategic Plan for Accelerated National Development,” will come to an end with the production of a 5-year Strategic Plan for the Ministry and all its agencies.

In attendance on the occasion hosted by the Kwara State Governor, Alhaji AdbulRahmanAbdulRazaq, were representative of the Emir of Ilorin, Ibrahim Kolapo Sulu Gambari; the Controller General (CG), Federal Fire Service, Ibrahim Liman; Commandant General, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Abubakar Audi; Controller General of the Nigerian Correctional Service, CG Haliru Nababa; and Ag. Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service, Idris Isah General.

Also around at the event were Directors in the Ministry, Deputy Controllers General, Deputy Comptrollers General, Deputy Commandants General, ACGs, Controllers, and Commandants among other dignitaries.

In a related event, The Nigerian Xpress has reported that Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State has been named the ‘Best Nigerian Governor in Internal Audit Transformation’ by the Institute of Internal Auditors of Nigeria.

The Award was in appreciation and recognition of the Governor’s significant transformation of the internal audit function in the state.

Receiving the Award on behalf of the Governor, at the 2021 National Conference of the Institute of Internal Auditors held today in Lagos, the Deputy Governor, Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, noted that the Administration considers auditors as strategic partners in the discharge of the responsibilities to the public. He said the State Government had to re-engineer the service delivery model being used in the face of changes occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic.