The Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has thrown his weight behind the partial closure of the nation’s borders and tasked paramilitary agencies to do all that is necessary to ensure internal peace and security of the country.
Aregbesola said one of the major factors behind the security challenges in the country had been the issue of porous borders with the twin problems of proliferation of small arms and ammunition, adding that illegal immigrants also constitute security threats to the nation.
The Minister who spoke at a retreat organised by his Ministry in Ilesha, Osun State, at the weekend said the partial closure of the land borders by the Federal Government has greatly enhanced the current level of peace and security in the country.
He said the retreat with the theme: “Driving Performance in Achieving the Presidential mandate on Nigeria’s Internal Security”, was an opportunity for paramilitary agencies and workers in the ministry to deeply reflect on their individual mandates for a clearer understanding of the demands on them.
According to him the time has come for them to render effective and efficient service towards ensuring citizenship integrity and internal security in Nigeria, adding that a Department of Citizens Integrity and Dignity would soon be created by the Ministry to achieve the mandate.
A statement by the Director of Press in the Ministry, Mohammed Manga, quoted the Minister as saying that “With the enormous task ahead of us, we must all put our thinking caps and articulate strategies that would promote collaboration, and create the necessary synergy that would guarantee a safe and secure internal environment in our country.
“The task demands clear and deeper understanding of the mandate of the Ministry and its Paramilitary Agencies as well as the Board. ”
“Promoting citizenship integrity has bearing on efficiency, high ethical and moral conduct, responsiveness, commitment, patriotism, compliance with rules and regulations and proactiveness in the discharge of our duties”, the Minister added.
According to him the focus of the President Muhammadu Buhari Administration since 2015 is rested on the tripod of addressing internal security in the country, revitalizing the economy and growing the economy, while tackling corruption.
The Minister said that the onus therefore, rests on the Ministry of Interior as the organ of Government, responsible for fostering and ensuring the maintenance of security and citizenship integrity to deliver on its mandate, in order to validate the raise d’etre of Government which is the security and welfare of the people of Nigeria.
He said that the retreat therefore, provides the necessary platform to brainstorm and articulate other policies, programmes and strategies that would further address the problem of insecurity in the country.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Barr. Georgina E. Ehuriah said that the retreat was aimed at securing the alignment of the roles of the Ministry and its Agencies towards achieving the President Muhammadu Buhari’s mandate on internal security
She assured that the Management of the Ministry and its Paramilitary Agencies will continue to provide the necessary support required towards achieving all the deliverables, asserting that peace and security of the country would attract Foreign Direct Investment into the country.
