TheNewsGuru

Tag: Minister Of Interior

  • YPP gives Tinubu 48 Hrs to suspend Tunji-Ojo

    YPP gives Tinubu 48 Hrs to suspend Tunji-Ojo

    As debates continue to heat up over the involvement of Nigeria’s Minister of Interior, Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo in the scandalous contract at the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation; the Young Progressives Party (YPP), has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to immediately suspend him.

    Failure to suspend Tunji-Ojo within 48 hours, the party threatened to mobilize youths across the country to shut down Abuja on Monday, 15th January, 2024, at the same time, mobilize for mass action in United States of America (USA) and United Kingdom (UK), where it boasted of large followership.

    In an open letter addressed to President Tinubu Tuesday night and signed by the National Chairman of the party, Comrade Emmanuel Bishop Amakiri; the YPP cited “abuse of office” as its reason for calling for the head of Tunji-Ojo; saying it would deter him from further abusing public office.

    “We have gathered evidence that a company owned by Minister Tunji Ojo, New Planet Project Limited, was paid a total of N438.1 million by the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation under the leadership of Dr. Betta Edu, for consultancy services. This payment was part of the N3 billion awarded to several consultants for the National Social Register contract, which was intended for cash transfers and social investment programs.

    “The payments made to Minister Tunji Ojo’s company, New Planet Project Limited, include N279 million for the verification of the list and an additional N159 million for the same purpose. It is worth noting that the company, which was registered on March 3, 2009, with registration number 804833, has Minister Tunji Ojo and his wife, Abimbola, listed as directors, with Gbadamasi Gbadamasi Clement as the company’s secretary.

    “We strongly believe that Minister Tunji Ojo’s actions are in direct violation of the Nigerian Constitution and the Code of Conduct law. Sections 5 and 6 of the Code of Conduct law clearly prohibit public officers from engaging in conflicts of interest and participating in any business other than farming.

    “It is a known fact that a contract of this magnitude could not have been approved except by the Federal Executive Council Meeting of which Minister Tunji Ojo is a Member. Minister Tunji Ojo who knew he had an interest in the New Planet Project Limited, had deceived the Federal Executive Council into approving the contract for him without even informing the FEC that he is a shareholder in the said company, this is deceitful, mischievous and obtaining by false pretence”, the letter reads in part.

    The party also accused one Thalis Apalowo, the Coordinator of the National Programme Manager for Grants for Vulnerable Groups, as a fronter for Tunji-Ojo in securing the contract.

    Mr. Apalowo was a Legislative Assistant to Hon. Tunji-Ojo during the 9th House of Representatives, when he served the House Committee on NDDC as its Chairman.

    Furthermore, the party alleged that, “Apalowo was part of the suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Dr. Betta Edu’s advance team that received a total of N2,515,000 for DTA (Daily Travel Allowance) for five nights, local running expenses at 30% of DTA, flight tickets, and airport taxis to Kogi State, which does not have an airport”.

    The party therefore, called on the President to immediately suspend Tunji-Ojo, while seeking a “comprehensive and independent investigation into the alleged misconduct, involving the appropriate authorities and agencies”.

    If found guilty of abusing his office, the YPP urged Tinubu to initiate “appropriate legal actions against Minister Tunji Ojo”, to serve as a deterrent to others.

    Recall that an award of contract for verification of beneficiary’s list in the empowerment programs undertaken by the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation was linked to a company owned by Hon. Tunji-Ojo.

    Although the Interior Minister had since cleared the air that he resigned the ownership of the company, New Planet Project Limited since 2019, when he won election into the House of Representatives; but Nigerians believe he still has shares in the company and as such, an interested party in the firm.

  • How Nigerians will benefit from passport automation – Minister

    How Nigerians will benefit from passport automation – Minister

    The Minister of interior, Olubunmi Ojo has noted that Passport automation will commence in the country as from January 8, 2024 with its benefits clearly stated.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports that Minister of interior, said Nigerians will be able to apply and complete their passport application process, including uploading passport photos and supporting documents online without human contact, starting January 8.

    According to the minister,  the initiative is not only a leap towards efficiency but also a significant enhancement to the country’s security architecture.

    He noted that the automated system is expected to expedite the detection of fraudulent passport applications, thus bolstering the nation’s security measures, he said, adding that the service has stationed document verification officers across all local government areas in the country to scrutinize passport applications in the country.

    Continuing, he added that the new stage of the enhanced passport application process will improve the security architecture of the country, prompting a quick detection of fake passport applications and reducing bottlenecks.

    It was further learned  that Under the new system, Nigerians will only need to visit immigration centers for fingerprint biometrics, simplifying the passport application process.

    The Minister also noted that  married women will no longer go through the stress of travelling to Abuja to have their change of name done, saying it can now be done from the comfort of their homes.

    He added that passport automation will aid fast data collection, processing and collection of passports.

    Tunji-Ojo emphasized that citizens can conveniently upload their passport photographs and required documents from the comfort of their homes, streamlining the pre-biometric phase.

    The minister highlighted the government’s commitment to balancing national security and convenience, emphasizing that the new system aims to enhance efficiency while maintaining stringent security measures.

    Similarly, Tunji-Ojo shared plans to install e-gate systems at international airports across the country by February 2024.

    This development is anticipated to expedite immigration processes for Nigerian travellers, as e-gates will automate entry procedures, minimizing the need for direct interaction with immigration officers.

  • Prison decongestion: FG releases 4,068 inmates on awaiting trial list

    Prison decongestion: FG releases 4,068 inmates on awaiting trial list

    In its bid to decongest the prisons in the country, the Federal Government has reportedly flagged off the release of 4,068 inmates who are awaiting trials.

    Nigeria’s Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, performed the symbolic release of the inmates at the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Kuje, Abuja, on Saturday.

    Ojo said that the aim was to decongest custodial centres across the country and make them humane for proper reformation and rehabilitation of offenders to take place.

    He said that as of Friday, November 17, 2023, there were about 80,804 inmates in 253 custodial facilities nationwide, and the total installed capacity for the 253 custodial centres adds up to less than 50,000.

    According to him, the decongestion will give room  to allow speedy dispensation of justice, pointing out that a large number of inmates in custodial centres are awaiting trial.

    He said the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Kuje, where 37 of the beneficiary inmates were released, has the installed capacity to hold 560 inmates, but currently, a total of 730 inmates are being held there. He added that out of the 730 inmates, 565 of them are awaiting trial.

    Continuing, he said  the figure showed that the custodial facilities are overcrowded, necessitating the commencement of the initiative, which is targeted towards addressing the overcrowding conundrum bedevilling custodial centres and their reformatory functions.

    “Today, we flagged off the release of a total of 4,068 inmates who are serving different terms of imprisonment in lieu of fines or compensation,” he stated.

    Tunji-Ojo explained that most of the inmates granted freedom are indigents who could not afford to pay their fines and have been languishing in custody. He added that N585 million was raised by philanthropic individuals, groups, and corporate bodies for the purpose of releasing the inmates.

    “Hence, all inmates in custodial centres who have fines or compensation not exceeding one million naira are qualified and would benefit from this gesture.

    “In addition, we are also providing each of them a stipend to enable them to return to their communities,” he added.

    Tunji-Ojo charged the benefiting inmates to see their freedom as a second chance to make things right again, advising them to stay away from crime and saying all must join hands with President Tinubu to make Nigeria a great nation.

    He disclosed that the Federal Government ensured that the beneficiary inmates were given requisite training aimed at impacting their lives functionally and equipping them with the knowledge for their self-reliance upon discharge, stressing that the government was not just releasing them to their fates.

    He noted that the training also covers their civic duties and responsibilities as citizens and strategies for refraining from reoffending.

    “In line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s mantra of renewed hope, the benefiting inmates have been given a second opportunity to get back on track and contribute to the ongoing development of our dear nation,” he said.

    He warned against stigmatising the inmates released. He called on the larger community to receive these returning citizens with open arms and refrain from stigmatising them, as it could drive them back to offending the law, which would further endanger society.

    He further urged the inmates to abide by the instructions and training they had received while in custody and to be good ambassadors in their communities.

    “It is said that no one truly knows a nation until one has been inside its custodial facilities,” he said

    While commending all stakeholders who facilitated the noble gesture as their corporate social responsibility, he added that they all have a stake in ensuring that offenders are properly reformed, rehabilitated, and reintegrated back into their communities.

     

  • Interior minister, Tunji-Ojo sets up 13-man committee on securing Nigerian borders

    Interior minister, Tunji-Ojo sets up 13-man committee on securing Nigerian borders

    An integrated border governance committee has been set up by Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, the Minister of Interior, it is a 13-man committee to identify the needs assessment of the nation’s borders.

    This is contained in a statement by the Deputy Director of Press and Public Relations in the ministry, Mr Afonja Ajibola, on Saturday in Abuja.

    According to him, Tunji-Ojo set up the committee during a presentation on border management and control by a consultant in Abuja.

    Afonja said that the minister instructed that the committee should endeavor to have a robust deliberation and create an implementable border management plan to secure the country.

    Membership of the committee is composed of 13 people drawn from the ministry as well as its agencies.

    The committee has the Director, Joint Services in the ministry, as the Chairman, Director, Planning Research and Statistics and the Director, Legal.

    Other members include: the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), the Federal Fire Service (FFS), Border Community Development Agency, Community Boundary Commission and its consultant.

    The minister explained that the most important thing to him about border management is the aspect of internal security which he said is a massive task that requires the synergy of all critical stakeholders.

    He painted a scenario of Nigerians at borderlines attending schools in the neighboring foreign countries.

    Tunji-Ojo said that the loyalty of those Nigerians would naturally be with the foreign countries, adding that how then would anyone expect Nigeria to achieve the desired security.

    “It is high time the country stopped paying a lip service to border management. I therefore, converse that enough budgetary allocation be made available for the provision of social infrastructure” he said.

    The minister added that enough budgetary allocation must be provided to these contiguous border communities to enable them have a sense of belonging.

    Meanwhile, the committee has 18 weeks to conclude its assignment.

  • FG considers moving NIMC to interior ministry

    FG considers moving NIMC to interior ministry

    The Federal Government of Nigeria is considering moving the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to the   Ministry of Interior, TheNewsGuru.com can exclusively report.

    This is to aid the smooth processing of international passport in the  country.

    Already,  NIMC is supervised by the Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy.

    On assumption of office, the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, promised to work towards having the NIMC in the ministry for proper coordination of identity data of Nigerians.

    A source who spoke on condition of anonymity said that a meeting was held recently at the ministry with staff of the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.

    He said the meeting was to harmonise the activities of the two government organisations.

    “The process is ongoing and should be finalised by Friday because there is another meeting scheduled for Friday,” the source at the ministry said.

    The ministry spokesperson, Ajibola Afonja, could not be reached for comments as of the time of filling this report.

  • Minister of Interior, Aregbesola launches another passport front office in Lagos

    Minister of Interior, Aregbesola launches another passport front office in Lagos

     

    Rauf Aregbesola the  Minister of Interior has launched another passport front office of the Nigeria Immigration Service in addition to the one he inaugurated in the Alimosho area of the state on Monday.

    According to him, about half of the passport applications in the country are made in Lagos state, hence the need for more front offices.

    Aregbesola said the Alimosho front desk office will ease the pressure on the three existing passport control offices in the state and curb shortages in the issuance of passports.

    He said, “We are committed to expanding our Passport Issuance operations to bridge the shortage gap we face usually in urban centres like Lagos. It is this need that gave birth to the Alimosho Front Desk Office to ease the ever-increasing pressure on the three existing Passport Control Offices domiciled in Lagos.

    “We promise to speed up the expansion process despite the challenge of limited resources.”

    Continuing, he said the Alimosho front desk office is not an express centre or a full-fledged passport office like the ones in the Ikoyi, Alausa and FESTAC areas of the state but a place where biometric data of applicants would be collected.

    He said, “A front office is where applications will be made and biometric data of the applicant will be collected. It is a non-judgemental centre, meaning that no decision will be made here, no passport will be produced here and no further processing will be done here, but the application and biometric data of the applicants will be collected and forwarded to the NIS for processing and issuing.

    “We certainly need more of this in Lagos. This is because half of all passport applications are made in Lagos. At no time are less than 100,000 applicants from Lagos on the NIS portal applying for passports. We will therefore need not less than 15 of these front offices in Lagos alone, to be able to cut the application waiting period to one week.

    “But due to funding challenges, the government may not be able to provide these desk offices. We will therefore need private partners that will provide the lounge. Their only involvement will be to provide the space. The offices will still be manned by NIS personnel. Having these offices will remove the bottlenecks that lead to exploitation and eliminate all the challenges we face in urban centres where applications are unusually high.”

    In his remarks, Comptroller General, Nigeria Immigration Service, Isah Idris, urged the pioneer officers of the Alimosho office to live above suspicion in all their dealings with customers and to be courteous and professional in the discharge of their choice duties.

    “The Passport Office remains a no-go-area for touts, passport racketeers, fake breeder documents harvesters and all sorts of undesirable elements. I wish to warn that the long arm of the law and its full force will be visited on any person who by an act of commission or omission infringes on the Passport Offences as stipulated in Section 10(1a-h) of the Immigration Act, 2015”, he added.

  • NIGERIA AT 62: FG declares Monday public holiday

    NIGERIA AT 62: FG declares Monday public holiday

    In line with marking the nation’s 62nd Independence Anniversary Celebration, the Federal Government has declared Monday, October 3, 2022, as a public holiday.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that this was made known by the Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola.

    While making the declaration, the Minister congratulated all Nigerians on this year’s celebration and assures them of the government’s commitment to tackling all the challenges facing the nation and bringing smiles to the faces of all the people.

    In his words: “The world is going through dire economic and security challenges which have also affected our nation. However, I am assuring us all that the government will not abandon the people, but will continue to confront all these challenges with all the might at our disposal until respite comes our way.”

    Aregbesola reiterates the eminent position of Nigeria in the comity of nations and the greatness ahead of the country if we work hard at it as a people.

    “Our warmth, welcoming spirit and love as well as our unbounded human capital and the richness of our land, make Nigeria unarguably the leading black nation in the world and Africa’s pride and beacon of hope. If we can rally ourselves together to harness our potentials, we shall be the greatest nation on the earth.

    “A country of over 200 million people whose natural talents, grit and passion glitter like the precious diamond that we are; Nigerians are sparkling like diamonds in the pack, whether in the academia, science and technology, business, innovation, music, entertainment, fashion or culture” he said.

     

    The Minister admonished Nigerians to use the occasion of the celebration to reflect on the challenges facing the nation and the role individuals can play in addressing them. He urges Nigerians to work hard, shun any attraction to get rich through criminal and other immoral means, saying only through productivity can an individual and the nation create wealth and get rich.

    While wishing Nigerians a memorable independence celebration, he reminds them of the fact that our founding fathers, in spite of the differences in faith, tribe and tongue, still came together for Nigeria’s independence.

    “Though our nation is going through challenges, especially on security, these challenges are temporary and do not define us. We are defined by the greatness of the Nigerian people in our diversity, strength, ingenuity and resilience.

    “We shall overcome all the challenges. A time is coming when we shall look at this period in retrospect and give thanks to the Most High for the stormy waters we have waded through and the triumphs we have recorded over the challenges that look so huge and gargantuan today,”

    He, therefore, called on all Nigerians to join hands together with the Muhammadu Buhari Administration in its quest to ensure a better Nigeria for all citizens, both at home and abroad as this, he said, shall be a befitting tribute to our hero’s past.

    The minister urged Nigerians to shun violence of any kind and be security conscious, asking them to report any suspicious persons or activities to the nearest security agency and through the N-Alert application on Android and IOS, saying “when you see something do N-Alert for prompt response from security agents”

  • Why Aregbesola shunned Osun guber election – Media aide, Fasure

    Why Aregbesola shunned Osun guber election – Media aide, Fasure

    Former Osun state Governor and the current  Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, has shunned the ongoing election in Osun state.

    Findings show that  the former governor of Osun State, Rauf Aregbesola, has travelled abroad to attend a conference.

    One of the Minister’s aides said Aregbesola traveled out of the country to avoid any form of crisis.

    Recall that  Aregbesola had publicly moved against the second-term ambition of Governor Adegboyega Oyetola over unresolved crisis between the two APC chieftains.

    It was learnt that the minister was in Lagos State on Thursday before travelling abroad on Friday.

    When contacted, Aregbesola’s media adviser, Sola Fasure, confirmed the minister’s absence.

    “He proceeded on an official assignment on Friday,” Fasure said.

    Fasure posited that Aregebesola didn’t get any invite to work for  governor Oyetola for his second term bid.

    He further explained that  the minister was not named in the Osun State campaign team by the All Progressives Congress in the state.

    He said, “Aregbesola is not in Osogbo. He is on an official assignment. He was not invited and not a part of the election council. The governor did not also invite him to be part of the campaign.”

    Recall that Aregbesola’s camp had put up a statement that they are still part of APC and support their candidate.