The Federal Government says it would deploy more technology, as opposed to heavy reliance on the human element, in the protection of the country’s vast borders.
The Minister of Interior, Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo disclosed this on Tuesday at a news conference in Abuja.
The minister who had earlier assumed duties on Monday said he would work with the Nigeria Immigration Service NIS to remove all passport processing-related bottlenecks.
The event had in attendance the Commandant General of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps NSCDC, Dr Ahmed Abubakar Audi; Controller General of the Nigerian Correctional Service NCoS, Haliru Nababa; Controller General of the Federal Fire Service FFS, Engr. Abudulganiyu Jaji and Acting Comptroller General of the NIS, Mrs Caroline Wuraola-Adepoju as well as the Director, Civil Defence, Fire, Immigration and Correctional Services Board, Ja’afaru Ahmed among others.
Addressing the gathering, the minister said; “We have to look at the Services, look at the bottlenecks and unbundle those bottlenecks.
“The immigration service, you have a lot to do. We need to secure our borders and deploy modern technology to ensure that all our land, air and sea borders are secure. I assure Nigerians that we are not going to disappoint them. NIS, the whole issue of passport delays and bottlenecks must be tackled. Nigerians, including those in diaspora must be treated with respect in all our passport offices. Foreigners should be able to come to Nigeria based on merit. It can no longer be business as usual. I so not work without timelines. There must be timelines and key performance indicators because responsibility without accountability is irresponsibility”, he declared.
“For the Federal Fire Service, the response time, we are going to look into that. I know you have your challenges, but I am going to work with you to tackle them. Fire is a serious disaster and we need to optimize our processes.
“Nigeria Correctional Service, we must work with critical stakeholders on the Administration of Criminal Justice Act. We have to look at how to decongest the custodial centres and effectively integrate ex-convicts back into the society. Our custodial centres must become places of hope.
“As for the NSCDC, you are doing fantastically well. I have read a lot about you and your contributions to the protection of Critical National Assets.
“I am telling the Service Chiefs that average is not good. Even better is not good enough. The best is what we want. You need to go back and strategize on key reforms that must be undertaken in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda. We will bring transparency and national interest to the front burner. I want to be your friend to the extent that you understand your responsibilities. Where we draw the line is when you slack.”
