The Federal Government called on the management staff of the Ministry of Interior and its Paramilitary Agencies to ensure the promotion of Citizenship Integrity in line with the Ministry’s mandate.
Mr. Mohammed Manga, Director Press and Public Relations of the Ministry of Interior made this known in a statement in Abuja.
He said the Minister of Interior Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, made the call in Ilesha, Osun state, during the opening of a two-day Ministerial Strategy Retreat.
The Retreat themed ‘Driving Performance in Achieving the Presidential mandate on Nigeria’s Internal Security’, was organised by the Ministry for its management staff and top functionaries of its paramilitary agencies.
Aregbesola said the Ministry’s mandate that promotes citizenship integrity would widen the understanding of staff towards their responsibility to the citizens and foreign nationals resident in the country stressing that promoting citizenship integrity has bearing on efficiency, high ethical and moral conduct, responsiveness, commitment, patriotism, compliance with rules and regulations and pro activeness in the discharge of the staff’s duties.
He added that the demand of enhancing citizenship integrity cuts across all staff in the Ministry and the Agencies and as such, the Ministry had already commenced the process of establishing the Department of Citizens Integrity and Dignity in order to achieve its mandate.
Speaking further, he said that one of the major factors that contributed to security challenges in the country was the nation’s porous borders and this has led to the twin problem of proliferation of small arms and ammunition in the country as well as the free entry of illegal immigrate.
He noted that the recent implementation of partial closure of the nation’s borders by the Federal Government was aimed at addressing the challenge and this has greatly contributed to the current level of peace and security in the country.
According to Aregbesola, “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 for a safe and secure internal environment. The task demands clear and deeper understanding of the mandate of the Ministry and its paramilitary agencies as well as the Board.
” Our understanding and appreciation of these responsibilities will determine how far and how well we deliver on our individual mandates which all contributes to internal security and safety in the country”.He concluded.
Earlier, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Interior, Mrs Georgina Ehuriah, said that the retreat was aimed at securing the roles of the Ministry and its Agencies.
She assured that the Management of the Ministry and its paramilitary agencies would continue to provide the support required towards achieving all the missions of the Minister and the Ministry.
