The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has directed the Controller-General, Nigerian Correctional Service, Haliru Nababa, to investigate the allegation against personnel of the service.

The Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Chris Musa, had accused some personnel of the correctional service of conniving with inmates to finance the operations of terrorists.

“The issue of correctional facilities In the North East, when we were debriefing some of the arrested Boko Haram, they were able to tell us how, from the prison, they could plan operations out in the field. They pass funds across.

“They use some of the warders there. We are not saying all of them are corrupt. They use their accounts and the deal is that anyone whose account is used shares it 50/50. Those are the challenges, ” Musa had said while appearing before the House of Representatives on Tuesday.

However, the minister, in a statement on Thursday by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Alao Babatunde, condemned the unpatriotic act by the personnel

He vowed that any personnel found capable would be brought to book.

The statement read, “The minister has called for a speedy investigation into the matter, noting that any officer culpable or complicit of sabotaging the Nigerian Correctional Facility, and by extension the security of the country, shall face the full wrath of the law.

The minister also wishes to inform the public that actions are underway to reform the correctional service to match international standards where inmates would be truly rehabilitated in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu.

“The era of talks but no action is over. The Renewed Hope administration will not entertain a breach from any officer. We have the interest of the state to protect, and it is above anyone’s interest.”

The Federal Government has called on the United Nations to support Nigeria’s efforts at reforming its correctional service and decongesting its custodial facilities


Minister of Interior, Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo made the call on Tuesday in Abuja during his presentation at the International Donor Round Table on Correctional Service Reform organized by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, UNODC

In a statement issued Wednesday in Abuja and signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, the Minister at the event, noted that decongesting the facilities demands the urgent attention of government, civil society groups, and international communities

He said, “There is a lot to do in the area of decongesting our custodial facilities. From our audits, we have too many inmates who are awaiting trials. We also have many others who are illegally detained.

“With over 80,000 inmates, we were able to decongest by only 5% with the N585 million fines we cleared last Saturday.

“Today, we seek the support of the United Nations as there is an urgent need for government, civil society groups, and the international communities to contribute their quota to re-engineering the system.

“This is the era of Renewed Hope. We need to partner with you to see how we can leverage on your technical expertise.”

On abuse of power by custodial facility controllers, which had become commonplace before now, the Minister frowned at such development, noting that the Renewed Hope agenda of the President was set to crack down and expel anyone caught in the act.

“Any controller caught taking money from a big man to lock up a poor man without a detention warrant will be expelled from the service


“We are here to fill in the gap for the weakest in the society. We are here, as a government, to be the voice of the voiceless, and the strength of the weakest. Never again should the freedom of anybody be taken away on the basis of his weakness,” he stated.


Speaking on giving hope to Nigerians and delivering on the mandate of government, the Minister assured the United Nations team that the current administration is key to doing things differently in order to earn the trust of its citizens and the international communities.


“Trust is something you don’t ask for – you earn it. This government wants to work to earn your trust and loyalty. We are doing things differently, and ready to deliver on the renewed hope agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu where Nigerians can have a better life, and brighter future,” the Minister said.

The UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, Mr. Matthias Schmale, commended the Minister for his proactive measures since taking over the helm of affairs of the Ministry.

“I want to commend you for the good job you are doing. I am aware of the great things you have done,” he said


Held in the UN House in Abuja, the round table saw the participation of top officials from the Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Justice, House Committee on Reformatory Institutions, UNODC, UNFPA, concerned NGOs, diplomats, and international communities including the Italian Ambassador, and representatives of the governments of Germany, Qatar and the USA

MyExpression:
It's no longer news.

We want to hear when they officially kick off the process.

Mod.

What nonsense am I reading up there.

Why are all these hungry Nigerian up there making cheerful comments as if it affects them?!

It's so obvious this is a sycophantic post...we know those that are working, we see them...we hear them....let's see the actions start.

Tinubu's audio salary increase never reach anybody yet.

You hungry praise singers should continue....ur stipend can't buy ordinary onions anymore, yet you're here praising what you don't know.
You get money for visa...wetin you wan use your passport do?!

Political nitwit

BlackhatMentor:
I spent 85k for 32 pages passport today at Owerri Immigration is that the correct price?

They used a big Nyansh young immigration lady to deceive me

In order to reduce traffic at the already-established centres and expedite service operations both domestically and abroad, the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has pledged that under his leadership, new passport processing and collection centres will be established, particularly for Nigerians living abroad.

According to a statement issued by Gabriel Odu of the Media, Public Relations and Protocols Unit, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM),

The Minister gave the assurance at the just concluded 6th edition of the Nigeria Diaspora Investment Summit (NDIS2023) organised by the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) and the Nigeria Diaspora Summit Initiative (NDSI) in Abuja.

“Nigerians, especially Diaspora Nigerians are to enjoy a seamless passport process and issuance system,” Tunji-Ojo pledged.

The Minister also disclosed that, by February 2024, a complete biometric immigration application process as obtainable in other countries will be implemented to minimise human interaction and facilitate easy passport pickup.

According to him, “Nigerians at home and in the diaspora deserve the best. They don’t have to suffer or sweat to get the Nigerian Passport”.

Scores escape death as container fall in Lagos
The Interior Minister went on to say that the first task on the assignment would be for a team from the Ministry to begin overseeing the E8-Mandate in the United Kingdom.

However, in order to reduce the threat of corruption in the system and increase the efficacy of service delivery to Nigerians, he asked the public to report any unethical behaviour by Ministry employees and their corresponding parastatals.

Tunji-Ojo, whose goodwill message received a thunderous applause, assured Nigerians that they will start seeing the positive changes before February 2024.

Chairman/CEO, NIDCOM, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, commended the Minister for his positive disposition towards the plight of Nigerians in the Diaspora, particularly with passports issuance.

According to her, “the key thing is, we have to encourage our brothers and sisters in the Diaspora to come home and invest by creating a conducive environment with these packages.”

The theme of the Summit was: “New Vistas, New Aspirations, New Opportunities: The Diaspora and National Development.”

The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has cleared a backlog of over two million National Identification Number (NIN) modification requests

NIMC Acting Director’General, Engineer Abisoye Coker-Odusote, confirmed this in a statement on Wednesday.

She said the achievement underscores NIMC’s commitment to ensuring that all Nigerians have access to secure and universally recognized identity documentation.

NIMC’s dedicated teams have been working tirelessly to process these backlogs and will not relent in effort to ensure that citizens have a streamlined experience when obtaining their NINs.

“We acknowledge the challenges that many Nigerians faced in the past and appreciate the patience they have shown during this period.

“And now that we have cleared over two million outstanding NIN modification applications, we will continue to work strenuously at all our centres to ensure that whatever requests that are outstanding are cleared as soon as possible,” Coker-Odusote added.


The NIMC DG also noted that the agency was committed to improving its communication channels.

She said: “We are in the process of establishing a robust communication system to facilitate the logging of complaints as well as the resolution of issues in a timely manner.

“This is because we understand the importance of addressing concerns promptly and are determined to provide efficient solutions to any challenges that may arise.



And of course, NIMC is actively investing in world-class infrastructure to better serve the Nigerian population.

“We believe that a strong and modernized infrastructure is crucial for delivering efficient and reliable services to all Nigerians.

The Federal Government has launched additional enhanced e-passport facilities at select Nigerian Embassies in Italy, Spain, Greece, Austria and Switzerland. ⁣

Unveiling the facilities in Rome, Italy, on Monday, the Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, said the new passport processing centres are part of efforts “to streamline passport processing and acquisition for Nigerians residing in the diaspora.”

“The advanced travel document offers three categories: 32-page five-year validity category, 64-page five-year validity category and 64-page 10-year validity category (for adults only),” the Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Immigration Service, Dr Dotun Aridegbe, disclosed in a statement he signed on Tuesday.⁣

The statement is titled ‘Federal Government Unveils Enhanced e-Passport Facilities in Europe.’

Tunji-Ojo who was represented by the Acting Comptroller-General of Immigration, Caroline Wura-Ola Adepoju, announced the phased rollout of the enhanced e-passport in Europe. ⁣


Phase one, which includes Spain, Greece, Austria, Switzerland, and Italy, was officially introduced in Rome on Monday, while phase two is scheduled to be implemented by the end of the week.⁣

He added that the e-passport complies with all standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organisation, positioning Nigeria as the first country in Africa and the fifth worldwide to embrace this technological achievement.

The minister represented by the Acting CGI highlighted that the enhanced e-Passport will reduce processing delays in Europe, “provided applicants adhere strictly to application guidelines, including utilising the online application and payment platform at passport.immigration.gov.ng and ensuring the synchronisation of their passport application data with their National Identification Number.”⁣

Monday’s unveiling was also witnessed by senior officials of the High Commission, a diverse representation of Nigerians in Italy, and members of the diplomatic community.

alanto:
Where's the simplicity?

abhosts:
Despite his 8 years of loyalty to President Buhari, there was no reciprocation. Buhari was just a selfish fellow.

Nigerians on social media have commended Nigeria’s former Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, GCON, saying he is living a modest lifestyle after leaving office, concluding that his life has been an exemplary demonstration of humility.

This is coming at the backdrop of a post made on X (former Twitter) platform on Saturday, November 4 2023, by the publisher of Ovation Magazine, Chief Dele Momodu, who narrated a testimony of an unnamed source about his wife’s encounter with Prof. Osinbajo at the Detroit Metro Airport, Michigan, United States of America (USA).

The source marvelled that the former VP only left office six months ago but had no security orderlies hovering around him. He praised Prof. Osinbajo’s humility and his simplicity which was reflected in the manner he related with his wife at the airport.

Dele Momodu’s post reads, “Former VP, less than 6 months out of office, at the Detroit Metro Airport, no security, no orderly, na him carry him back (bag) all by himself like any other traveller, my wife didn’t even recognize (him) until he showed is (his) Nigerian passport. Respect.” Unidentified Author.

They bared their minds in the comment section on X, describing Prof. Osinbajo’s simplicity as God’s gift while advising other past politicians to take after him.

Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has assured Nigerians that the ministry will come up with a comprehensive review of migration and visa policies with the support of key stakeholders in the country aimed at easing all the processes for Nigerians both home and abroad in tune with global standard.


The Minister stated this on Tuesday in Abuja when he received the Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, who led the management team of the Commission on a courtesy visit.

This was disclosed in a statement by NIDCOM spokesman, Abdur-Rahman Balogun.

According to the statement, the minister said the ministry is worried about lopsidedness in some migration, and visa policies which tend to make Nigeria a dumping ground.

It added that Minister said that the review will take cognisance of the principle of reciprocity in line with international standards.

Tunji-Ojo applauded the efforts of the Commission through the proactive nature of the Chairman, saying NIDCOM has more to offer in the area of welfare for Nigerians in the Diaspora and creating positive image for the country abroad.

The Minister, however, shared his concerns about the general challenges with passport processing, capturing and collection, assuring that everything possible will be done to make the process more efficient.

Earlier, Dabiri-Erewa commended the dynamism brought in by the Minister of Interior in the improvement on issuance of passport to Nigerians both home and abroad.


She advocated for more effective passport capturing and collection process for Nigerians living abroad.

Dabiri-Erewa, who solicited for a working collaboration with the Ministry while rolling out some of the activities of the Commission since inception.

She listed data mapping of Nigerians in the Diaspora to know the actual number of Nigerians living there, improvement in diaspora remittances, creating diaspora focal persons, holding annually diaspora day on July 25, Badagry Door of Return, Diaspora Quarterly lecture series, National Diaspora Investment Summit, Diaspora Investment Trust Fund and many interventionist programmes for the welfare of Nigerians.

The NIDCOM boss said there is urgent need for collaboration and creation of a structural platform to address complex diaspora issues that require coordinated efforts from various Ministries, Departments and Agencies.

At my inaugural meeting as the Chairman of the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board (CDCFIB) yesterday, I reiterated commitment to the welfare, timely promotion of the staff, and payment of entitlements to boost the morale of our officers who put their lives on the line to ensure we sleep with our eyes closed.

The Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) is seeking to collaborate with the Federal Ministry of Interior to use its facilities for the delivery of international passports and other critical documents.

The Postmaster General of the Federation/CEO of NIPOST; Miss. Tola Odeyemi stated this when she paid a courtesy visit to the Minister of Interior, Rt. Honourable Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo at the Ministry of Interior, headquarters, Abuja.

According to a statement from NIPOST, Odeyemi believes that the partnership would deepen existing inter-agency collaboration by leveraging NIPOST’s vast network for e-fulfilment services in Nigeria.


This partnership, if successful, would reflect part of the changes Nigerians have been clamouring for in putting NIPOST’s facilities to good use.


Odeyemi’s 3-point agenda

NIPOST in the statement released on Wednesday said Odeyemi’s visit was aimed at fostering partnership, and opening channels of synergy between the two organizations based on her three-point agenda which includes “Delivery of critical document i.e., International Passport, Backend services for processing of passport utilizing NIPOST selected locations, and the use of NIPOST for Address Verification System (AVS).”


“The NIPOST boss concluded by soliciting the Ministry’s partnership in utilizing the NIPOST network for the delivery of critical documents to citizens in the country and in the diaspora. She said the role of NIPOST is strategic in enhancing security, which is crucial to the development of the nation, in addition to fulfilling the Nation’s quest to grow the digital economy,” the statement read.

In his response, the Minister of Interior, Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo was said to have congratulated the Postmaster General on her well-deserved appointment and expressed the confidence that with her expertise she will drive the organization to greater heights.

“He pledged to support the Postmaster General to succeed, as he is committed to seeing to the fulfilment of the collaboration with the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST). He emphasized that the office of the Minister is always accessible for productive strategic partnership and the Ministry will continue to explore ways and cultivate collaboration that would help in fulfilling his mandate to Nigerians,” the NIPOST said in the statement.

Expectations of a new NIPOST

Before Odeyemi’s appointment, Nigerians had listed the changes they expected to see at NIPOST under the leadership of the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijan. The suggestions for a reformed NIPOST came at the behest of the Minister, who sought the Nigerian’s opinion on what an ideal NIPOST should be.

Critical among the suggestions was that NIPOST should function like the Nigerian Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS) and become a powerhouse to drive e-commerce growth.