Omeiza Ajayi

The Federal Government has read the Riot Act to personnel of the Nigerian Correctional Service NCoS, vowing to dismiss anyone discovered to be sabotaging efforts at keeping its custodial facilities safe.

Minister of Interior, Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo gave the warning on Wednesday in Abuja during an inspection tour of the NCoS headquarters and the Kuje Custodial Centre.

“We are ready to show the door to whoever wants to sabotage us,” he warned shortly after inspecting the Kuje facility which was attacked last year.

The Minister said he was at the Ministry to implement the ‘Renewed Hope’ agenda of President Bola Tinubu and would not allow anyone to sabotage his efforts.

He vowed to make the Service “a correctional institution rather than a condemnation service.”

He also promised a lot of reforms in the Service, soliciting support of the personnel to actualise the reforms.

At the Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS, the minister raised concerns about the lack of correct data of expatriates in the country and promised to look into several agreements the NIS had with service providers, adding that those agreements were holding the Service back in actualizing its mandate.

“Any agreement (entered into by NIS) that is holding us back as a nation must go,” the minister said.

He stressed the need to reduce the waiting period to get an international passport, lamenting that Nigerians spend months to get the document.

“My daughter waited for six months to get he passport booklet. I was the House committee chairman on NDDC. I faced this, tell me what an average Nigerian will face. It is like we are waiting for a passport to heaven,” he said.