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Tag: Interior Minister

  • Interior Minister speaks on alleged rift with Ondo gov, Aiyedatiwa

    Interior Minister speaks on alleged rift with Ondo gov, Aiyedatiwa

    The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has debunked rumours of a rift between him and Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State, describing the allegations as baseless.

    Tunji-Ojo said his primary concern is supporting different groups that were propagating the good work of President Bola Tinubu in the state.

    The minister stated this on Thursday in Ikare-Akoko, Akoko North-East Local Government Area during a medical outreach programme organised by Grassroots Movement for Tinubu (GMT).

    According to reports, the programme was organised for North Senatorial District of the state.

    The minister was represented at the event by Mr Bode Obanla, a former Senior Special Assistant to Gov. Lucky Aiyedatiwa on Community Engagement (Northern Senatorial District).

    Tunji-Ojo said being a minister should not deter him from working positively with the people in his home state, saying “politics is local” and would support any group genuinely working for the promotion of the good work of the President.

    He said GMT was a group with various initiatives, and praised it for ensuring that grassroots politics continued at its peak in the state.

    On his support for various groups in the state, the minister promised to continue to back programmes initiated at promoting the President.

    “At this point, any group that mobilises for ‘Asiwaju’ (Tinubu), that is the group we will love.

    “There are about five, six groups in Ondo State now. Anybody that wants to form a group in the state, they will come and I will support them. That of GMT is a different one, because they are full of initiatives.

    “And I discovered that it is not a group formed in Ondo State. It’s a group formed across the nation, this is a chapter.

    “Last week, they held a seminar in Lagos and I was there, these are the kind of initiatives I will love. What they have started now, I will support them to go to the villages.

    “So, there is nothing wrong with this supports. We are not fighting. What is important is that we promote our President,” Tunji-Ojo said.

    Earlier, the Director-General of GMT, Saka Yusu-Ogunleye, said the medical outreach targeted about 1,000 residents in each of the senatorial districts.

    Yusu-Ogunleye said the programme was part of efforts and awareness towards showcasing and complementing the efforts of President Bola Tinubu.

    He appreciated the supports extended so far to the group by the Minister of Interior, and assured of more robust initiatives to market Tinubu.

    “We know that health is wealth and for us at GMT, we will continue to partner with government and we will continue to do it,” he said.

    The Woman Leader of GMT, Mrs Olamide Falana said the mission and vision of the group remained supporting the achievements of the President.

    One of the beneficiaries, A civil servant, Mr Sodiq Issau-Sanni appreciated the initiative and praised the organisers for bringing the programme to his locality.

    NAN reports that free medical check up included; eye test, blood pressure, blood sugar and the distribution of free eye glasses with drugs.

  • Interior Minister orders immediate investigation into Afokang custodial centre

    Interior Minister orders immediate investigation into Afokang custodial centre

    The Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has ordered immediate investigation into alleged poor feeding of inmates at Afokang custodial centre, Calabar.

    Tunji-Ojo gave the order in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Babatunde Alao, on Sunday in Abuja.

    This is following a disturbing video report on Facebook alleging that inmates at the custodial centre were being subjected to inhuman treatment and poor feeding.

    The minister described the incident as a serious breach of the standards of care and dignity to which inmates were entitled to world over.

    He, however, directed a comprehensive and urgent investigation into the inhuman treatment meted out on the inmates, adding that those responsible for such act would be held accountable.

    Tunji-Ojo warned that any lapses in the quality of food, sanitation, and welfare of inmates henceforth, would not be tolerated.

    He said that the service must ensure that inmates were treated with the dignity and respect they deserve, adding that he will not condone any form of maltreatment or neglect of individuals in custody.

    He promised that the findings of the investigation would be made public, and necessary disciplinary actions taken.

  • NFF, Ministry of Interior commit to reintegration project for the girl-child in Correctional Centres

    NFF, Ministry of Interior commit to reintegration project for the girl-child in Correctional Centres

    An initiative of the Nigeria Football Federation to reform, rehabilitate and reintegrate into the society, young girls who are in correctional centres across the country, has been received with great enthusiasm by the Honourable Minister of Interior, Hon. (Dr) Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo.

    On the tail of a presentation made to the Minister and Management Staff of the ministry in Abuja on Tuesday by NFF Executive Committee Member and Chairman of the Women’s Football Sub-Committee Madam Aisha Falode, the Minister applauded the NFF for the noble concept, and vowed to set machinery in motion to ensure the realization of the objectives attached to the initiative.

    “I am hugely impressed by this presentation, which shows clearly that the NFF is aware of its responsibilities to the community, aside from preparing our National Teams for matches and tournaments. The reason why there is always an upshoot in the number of persons in correctional centres is that when they are released, they have nowhere to go other than that place from where they ended up in the centre. I see this project as filling that gap for them, giving them hope and the means by which to bring that hope to reality.

    “A ‘correctional centre’ is different from a ‘prison’. While the former is a place of correction, reformation and rebirth, a prison is a place of incarceration. Those in correctional centres should have the opportunity to get reformed and reintegrated back into the society. The NFF has wowed me with this. Sport is not just a means of entertainment; it is the biggest instrument that can bridge the gap between the powerful and the vulnerable.”

    Earlier, President of NFF, Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau told the Minister that the Federation believes it has services to render to the community at large, apart from organization of football matches, and has picked on the vexed issue of growing number of girls in correctional centres as a first initiative.

    “We are primed to use the instrumentality of football to collaborate with relevant agencies and ministries to activate processes for the reform and rehabilitation of these young ladies, so that they can be reintegrated into the society, and be useful to themselves and the society.

    “The NFF is ready and willing to go the whole distance on this project. We will work with relevant agencies and ministries, and network with organisations and foundations to arrange vocational training for these girls in order that they will have a future.”

    Falode’s presentation, titled FootballGood-Naija; EmpowerHer, highlighted rising figures of ladies in correctional centres across the country, as well as those awaiting trial and those already convicted, and was pegged on the ‘Gender Empowerment’ initiative of the Confederation of African Football which pilot programs had taken place in Sierra Leone, Ghana and Liberia.

    Among the objectives are to support better reintegration prospects post-release; improve physical and mental well-being; develop and enhance life skills and self-esteem; foster a culture of sportsmanship, discipline and teamwork; identify and develop football refereeing and coaching potentials and; use football as a tool for education, skill-building and leadership development among young people.

    With the Minister were the Controller-General of Nigerian Correctional Service, Haliru Nababa; Permanent Secretary in Ministry of Interior, Dr. Aishetu Ndayako; Director of Press, Ozoya Imohimi; Director Joint Services Department, Atinuke Ajiboye and Director of Legal Services, Omofese Era.

    Also on the NFF delegation were the Deputy General Secretary, Dr. Emmanuel Ikpeme; Director of Communications, Ademola Olajire; Director of Legal Services, Okey Obi; Director of Technical, Augustine Eguavoen; Director of Competitions, Ruth David and; Chief Protocol Officer, Emmanuel Ayanbunmi.

  • Visa administration: FG to streamline process for easy accessibility – Interior Minister

    Visa administration: FG to streamline process for easy accessibility – Interior Minister

    The Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has restated the Federal Government’s commitment to review the nation’s visa policy administration for easy accessibility.

    Tunji-Ojo made this known during a Stakeholders Consultative Meeting on Nigeria visa policy on Saturday in Abuja.

    The minister explained that though, striking a balance between easy access to visa and national security was very delicate, but if done well, it would no doubt lead to a healthy investment promotion among others.

    “You see, a seamless access to any country is key for investment promotion, job creation, foreign direct investment. In short it is key to whatever a particular country wants to do or achieve to enable it progress.

    “The logic is that everything is built on effective visa administration. So, we are here to really talk about it and to be able to streamline the process for better.

    “Especially, in areas of short stay visa and even our other categories of visa to see how we can optimise them and make it more efficient in such a way that will be able to attract more investment,” Tunji-Ojo said.

    He said government is determined to make sure that in the next couple of weeks, the new implementation framework will be on ground.

    The Minister said subsequently, people all over the world will start having easy access to the country because government want to welcome investment and people.

    “Just last year, the number of foreign passengers that came to Nigeria was just less than two million people.

    “That is unacceptable for a country of over 200 million people. It means that we are limiting investment, import of forex among other things.

    “So, once we get the visa policy right, and we get the implementation framework perfect, then definitely the economic prosperity will come,” Tunji-Ojo said.

    Earlier, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Interior, Dr Aishetu Ndayako, said that the review had become imperative bearing in mind the importance of visa to the overall development of any country.

    Ndayako expressed optimism that at the end of the meeting, stakeholders would have come up with a new visa policy framework that would be able to compete with other climes that got it right.

  • FG welfare package: NSCDC officers beg Interior minister, Tunji-Bello to quickly intervene on their behalf

    FG welfare package: NSCDC officers beg Interior minister, Tunji-Bello to quickly intervene on their behalf

    … insist other paramilitary agencies had gotten at the appropriate time

    Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC officers have made a passionate appeal to the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Bello to quickly wade into the issue of Federal Government package to enable them get at the appropriate time.

    In an appeal trending on social media networks, the officers pleaded with the minister to wade into the matter for NSCDC personnel to get their welfare at appropriate time like other paramilitary agencies under his ministry.

    Hear them: “Sir the wage award approved by federal government to cushion the effect of removal of fuel subsidy ours is not coming at the appropriate time compared to our sister agencies until we put it in prayers.

    “Sir we are facing challenges in time of our financial benefits before it reaches us, like implementation of promotions and payment of arrears which should be a paramount issue that a leader should consider.
    Since inception of payment wage award ours always arrived last.

    “Presently our morale is getting low because all the federal public servants have received their February wage award but ours is not certain when we’ll get our own,financial entitlement aren’t coming as at when due.

    #

  • E-gate to ease clearance of intl. passengers – Interior minister

    E-gate to ease clearance of intl. passengers – Interior minister

    The Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, says Nigerians returning from foreign countries will soon enjoy their arrivals at the nation’s airports with the introduction of e-gate.

    E-gate is an electronic gate-just like scanner-that has all the modern facilities required to scan passengers who just came into the country via the airports easily and faster without the usual delay.

    The minister made the promise on Monday while inspecting the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) ongoing installation of e-gate (scanner) at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

    He said the era of unnecessary delay of passengers who just came into the country due to manual scanning by immigration officers would be a thing of the past by the time the project came to fruition.

    Tunji-Ojo recalled that the Federal Government had promised Nigerians that upon their arrival into the country would enjoy a seamless passage at the airports through e-gate unlike in the past.

    “So, I came to inspect the e-gate project that is ongoing and I am happy with the progress of work being done so far; eight e-gates are to be installed at the Abuja airport.

    “But I told them that eight will not be acceptable by me; and that they have to increase it by two to make it 10.

    “So far, they have succeeded in installing some and from the assurances given by the contactor, the remaining ones will be delivered before the end of the month, to make it 10 in all.”

    The minister explained that the more the number of e-gates, the lesser the waiting period by passengers.

    “You know the more the e-gate, then the easier it will be for passengers to be cleared and looking at the one that had been tested; I learnt that it is about 30 seconds to clear an individual.

    “This I believe is a record time anywhere in the world; and having looked at the solutions and the hard ware, is unarguably one of the best.’’

    Tunji-Ojo said that with what he saw on ground, he had no doubt that when completed Nigerians would no longer be that the mercy of NIS officers, or anybody when they arrived Nigeria.

    “This is a fact; because as you can see, it is a matter of putting your passport and it scans it, opens the gate, read your facials, your bio-metrics, it will capture you; and then you leave.

    “You do not need to have an encounter with any Immigration officer.

    “But gain, unless you a person of interest, I must always put that because this whole purpose is not just for you to be able to pass at record time.

    “No, is not just for that is to also secure the country by so doing.’’

    The minister explained further that for the country to also add another layer to its national security architecture, it should be able to have about two or three licence verifications.

    This, he said, would enable the appropriate authority to easily flag anybody or a passenger who happened to be a person of interest or on the watch list.

    He added that by the time the project came on stream, it would go a long way to support NIS officers to enable them to effectively do their jobs.

    “By the time the project comes to fruition, it will be a new story and will be another milestone in the annals of the country and NIS.

    “The project is not just in Abuja; we are looking at delivering about 16 in Lagos, 8 in the D-WING and 8 in the E-WING.

    “As well as one in the private wing in Lagos to make it 17 in total; about five in kano,  four in Enugu and four in Port Harcourt.”

    Tunji-Ojo explained that what he believed was that people must not come through Abuja for them to enjoy the services.

    More so, the minister inspected another ongoing project– Advanced Passengers Information System (APIS) at the NIS headquarters.

    APIS is a devise that enables NIS officials to access to anybody’s bio-data at least two hours before the person or passenger enters into the country.

    Tunji-Ojo expressed delight with the level of work done so far, adding that the project was more than 70 per cent ready as the equipment was on ground including the servers.

    “My Joy is that the contractor has given me his words that in the next three weeks, it will be 100 per cent ready.

    “So, it means that the E-NIS project, the border control management which is the automation of border control system is on course and Nigerians are about to have new experience.

    “And above all, NIS is ready to contribute its quota to the national security architecture as I always say NIS is an integral part of national security.

    “And as a security organisation, the efficiency of the service goes a long way to determine how secured the country will be; that is why it has decided to adopt technology and automated its operations,’’ he said.

  • Interior minister frowns at different NIS uniform colour shades

    Interior minister frowns at different NIS uniform colour shades

    The Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji–Ojo, on Friday said that the uniform worn by personnel of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) must be of same shade, to prevent impersonation.

    The minister stressed this at the inauguration of new projects of NIS zone “A”, Ikeja, Lagos.

    He expressed dissatisfaction at different shades of the uniform he observed during his tour of immigration offices.

    He said same – shade uniform must be maintained to prevent marauders from deceiving innocent Nigerians

    The projects inaugurated include Redesigned Quarter Guard, Remodelled Zonal Office Gate ; Befitting Guard House, and Upgraded Security Post, Car Park Expansion.

    There was also replacement of an underutilised 250 KVA diesel generator with a 50 KVA one, among others.

    The facilities were upgraded to express the service determination for visibility, control, improved delivery and display of highest standards.

    While commending the commitment of the personnel to effective service delivery, the minister stressed that the new facilities must be meticulously maintained.

    ” If you can’t maintain government facilities, there is no point working in the public sector.

    “Personnel should be image makers, so treat government facilities and Nigerians with care and respect,” he said.

    The Comptroller-General of Immigration (CGIS), Mrs Wura–Ola Adepoju, promised that the service would deliver its promises to Nigerians.

    She, however, called on Nigerians to support the service by ensuring they go for passport renewals six months before expiration.

    ”Do not wait till your passport expires before you start hammering NIS,” she said.

    The Assistant – Comptroller-General (ACG)  in-charge of the Zone, Mr Adebowale Sadiq, said that completing the projects was a significant step forward for the NIS, Zone ‘A’.

    ”It demonstrates the commitment to providing a safe, secure, and efficient working environment for our officers and a welcoming and conducive environment for our visitors.

    “As we move forward, NIS remains committed to continuous improvement and innovation.

    “NIS will continue to strive for excellence in all our endeavours, upholding the highest standards of professionalism and service delivery. ” he said.

  • Terrorism financing: Interior Minister to investigate alleged misconduct by correctional officers

    Terrorism financing: Interior Minister to investigate alleged misconduct by correctional officers

    The Minister of Interior,  Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has called for the immediate investigation of intelligence report on misconduct by some men of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS).

    This is contained in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Alao Babatunde, on Thursday in Abuja.

    The minister ordered for the investigation while reacting to comments by the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Christopher Musa, when he appeared before members of the House of Representatives on Tuesday.

    According to the CDS, some personnel of the correctional service connived with inmates to finance the operations of proscribed terrorist groups.

    Tunji-Ojo, in his reaction, condemned the unpatriotic act, directing the Controller-General of the NCoS, Haliru Nababa, to investigate the disturbing allegation.

    The minister, therefore, called for a speedy investigation into the matter with the view of unraveling the truth.

    He added that any officer culpable or complicit of sabotaging the service and by extension the security of the country, would face the full wrath of the law.

    Tunji-Ojo also assured the public that actions were underway to reform the service to match international standards where inmates would be truly rehabilitated.

    This, he added, would be in line with the “Renewed Hope Agenda” of President Bola Tinubu.

    “The era of talks but no action is over. The renewed hope administration will not entertain breach from any officer.

    “We have the interest of the state to protect and it is above anyone’s interest,” he added.

     

  • UK PM fires interior minister, Suella Braverman

    UK PM fires interior minister, Suella Braverman

    British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Monday fired Home Secretary Suella Braverman, who drew anger for accusing police of being too lenient with pro-Palestinian protesters.

    According to a source in the prime minister’s office, Sunak had “asked Suella Braverman to leave government and she has accepted.”

    The Conservative Party said Sunak is carrying out a wider reshuffle which “strengthens his team in government to deliver long-term decisions for a brighter future.”

    However, sacking one of the leading figures on the right of the party could pose difficulties for the prime minister as he seeks to get his party united behind him and ready for a general election expected in 2024.

  • Go through seamless way to obtain passport – Aregbesola

    Go through seamless way to obtain passport – Aregbesola

    Nigeria’s Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, has called on Nigerians seeking to obtain International passport not to seek the services of middlemen or touts but to register online by themselves.

    The Minister made this known at the unveiling of the Nigeria Immigration Service Passport Front Desk Office in Auchi, Edo State, on Saturday, according to a statement signed by the minister’s media aide, Sola Fasure.

    Aregbesola noted the NIS is working to reduce the waiting time for passport data capturing to three days.

    He then advised applicants not to go through third parties but apply on any internet-enabled device through the Nigeria Immigration Service portal.

    He said, “I will, therefore, plead with applicants not to go through them and other touts hanging around passport offices, soliciting from applicants. The application can be done in your bedroom on your Android phone through the Nigeria Immigration Service portal. You do not need a third party. Those who patronise them are the ones encouraging their nefarious activities and frustrating our efforts at transparency and providing seamless service.”