By Cross Udo, Abuja
The Coalition of Southeast Youths (CSEYD) has called President Bola Tinubu to merge the Ministry of Police Affairs with the Interior Ministry to synchronize the nation’s internal security architecture.
CSEYD also said that such a merger would significantly improve the budgetary allocations to the Ministry of Interior, which would lead to greater productivity.
The youth group has commended President Tinubu for retaining Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo as Interior Minister based on what it described as transformative leadership and the cocktail of achievements recorded by the Ministry under his watch.
In a statement yesterday by its Coordinator, Wisdom Akunna, the group further commended the President for the cabinet reshuffle, which it said was long overdue.
The statement read, “The Coalition of Southeast Youths, a leading pan-Igbo political pressure group, has welcomed President Tinubu’s restructuring of the cabinet and believes it is long overdue.
“The CSEYD joined other notable civil society organizations and opinion leaders to demand a rejigging of the cabinet, including the merger of the Ministry of Police Affairs with the Ministry of Interior to strengthen our internal security as a nation, improve border security, and eliminate identity theft.
“We are, however, impressed that Mr. President listened to the overwhelming opinion of Nigerians on the retention of Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo as Interior Minister based on the transformative leadership and the cocktail of achievements recorded by that Ministry under his watch.
“For example, correctional centers across the country have recorded significant improvement in aesthetics and inmate well-being, a paradigm shift from punitive to holistic rehabilitation. Response to challenges around these custodial centers has received prompt, definite, and wholehearted attention.
“In August alone, approval of a 50 per cent increase in daily feeding allowance per inmate was achieved while orchestrating the clearance of fines and compensations worth N585m for 4,068 inmates across the country as evidence in the push to strengthen our criminal justice system;
“This year under review, with solid commitments to partnerships entered into by the Ministry through the Nigeria Correctional Services, an ultra-modern furniture factory was completed at Bornu State while a garments and shoes factory has been completed at Abia State;
“The Interior Ministry has also ended years of stagnation in the paramilitary services under its supervision by ensuring the promotion of over 60,000 senior and junior officers across the Immigration, Civil Defence and Immigration Services. Also, a functional pensions board has been established to align paramilitary salaries with those of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).”
CSYED noted that under the supervision of the Interior Ministry, “there has been clearance of a backlog of 204,333 passports at the NIS (Nigeria Immigration Service) completion of state-of-the-art Data Centre and Command and Control Centre at the NIS headquarters for ease of visa and passport application, installation of E-gates at several airports across the country.”
It explained that such laudable projects have restored confidence in the Immigration services’ capability to meet citizens’ needs, fortify national security, and eliminate identity theft.
“We call on Mr President to once again reconsider our earlier recommendation for the merger of the Police Affairs ministry to synchronize all our internal security architecture and improve on the budgetary allocations to the Interior Ministry to ensure greater productivity,” it added.
