Interior Minister Pays Unscheduled Visit to Fire Service, Says Excuses Will No Longer Be Tolerated

• Nigeria’s Interior Minister, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has vowed that excuses will no longer be tolerated from security agencies as the government intensifies efforts to tackle national challenges
• During an unscheduled inspection in Abuja, he stressed President Bola Tinubu’s directive to overhaul operations and strengthen paramilitary services
• He praised the NSCDC’s new training facility while warning the Federal Fire Service to urgently address lapses in preparedness

Nigeria’s Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, on Thursday declared that the country was intensifying efforts to confront its security challenges. He stressed that excuses would no longer be tolerated from agencies under his ministry.

The minister made the remarks during an unscheduled assessment tour of the Federal Capital Territory Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the Federal Fire Service (FFS) station in Wuse Zone 3, Abuja.

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Tinubu’s directive on safety and security

Speaking during the visit, Tunji-Ojo said President Bola Tinubu had issued a clear directive to overhaul the operational posture of all agencies under the ministry.

He explained that the president wanted them positioned “in the right perspective for optimum and perfect delivery of service.”

According to him:

“The president is putting all hands on deck to make sure that we have a safe Nigeria and of course, the issue of safety and security of a nation is a work in progress and of course, we are doing a lot and I think the NSCDC has a major role to play.”

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NSCDC training centre in Abuja

At the NSCDC’s ongoing training ground project for the FCT Command, the minister expressed satisfaction with the corps’ efforts to strengthen capacity ahead of emerging threats.

He emphasised that continuous training was central to boosting effectiveness across paramilitary services.

“Paramilitary service is about constant and effective training and capacity building and the NSCDC has a major role to play. The FCT command seems to be up and doing and I am happy with the training centre and you can only give what you have,” he said.

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Tunji-Ojo noted that the new facility for arms guard training demonstrated foresight.

“I am here to see their preparedness and if they are forward thinking and with what we have seen with the training facility they are building here to train the arms guard; it means they are forward thinking and are preparing for the future that will eventually come,” he stated.

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Federal government support for paramilitary services

The minister reaffirmed the Federal Government’s full backing for paramilitary services.

“The president has given us all the support. So it is my responsibility as the minister under the leadership of Mr President to give all the support and that’s why I am here,” he said.

He charged officers to uphold professionalism and respect for human rights, noting that internal security depended heavily on their conduct.

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“Security is life, we are relying on them and Mr President is trusting them to deliver on the issue of internal security and the protection of critical national assets. We believe that they will deliver on this and we all will be proud of Nigeria and be able to call this great country a home,” he added.

On-the-spot inspections nationwide

Tunji-Ojo disclosed that the ministry would continue unannounced inspections nationwide to assess real-time service delivery.

“We want to see things the way they are. To see the sort of service that Nigerians are getting cut across all our agencies basically, because like what I always say, a good service is not good enough for Nigerians but only best of services,” he explained.

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Fire service concerns in Wuse

However, the minister expressed disappointment over the condition of the Federal Fire Service station in Wuse. While he declined to disclose the specific concerns publicly, he promised to address them promptly.

“I have expressed my views on what things I am not too comfortable with and those issues, I will take them up with the FFS Controller General. These are issues that must never happen again. The fire service is a rescue service agency and a rescue service agency is meant to be prepared for emergency at all times,” he said.

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He added that although he would not discuss the problems immediately, “they are issues that we will take up and make sure that those things are corrected and we do not have repetition of such issues.”

National assembly hails Tinubu’s minister, reason surfaces

Legit.ng earlier reported that the Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has been commended over the 2024 budget performance of the ministry.

The Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Interior commended Tunji-Ojo for a job well done in 2024.

The federal lawmakers gave the commendation when Tunji-Ojo appeared in the National Assembly, Abuja to defend the 2025 budget of the ministry on Wednesday, January 15.

Source: Legit.ng