The Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, has pledged to continue with the policies and reforms embarked on by his predecessor, Lt.- Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau (Rtd).
He said the polices and reforms were in line with the “SET” objectives of President Muhammadu Buhari-led Administration of improving security, economic revitalisation and entrenching transparency (SET) in the conduct of government business.
A statement on Sunday by Mr Mohammed Manga, Director, Press and Public Relations of the ministry, disclosed that the minister stated this at a reception in honour of Dambazau in Abuja.
Aregbesola acknowledged that the former Minister has done creditably well, particularly in the area of repositioning the services under the Ministry.
He said this was through ensuring that the services were given the needed support to aid them in the maintenance of internal security, in line with the mandate of the Ministry.
Aregbesola added that the former Minister was able to provide the Ministry with a befitting office complex for the Minister.
He noted that all the reforms and policies that Dambazau initiated while in office were to ensure the provision of internal security for Nigerians.
The Minister said this would helped in improving the economy and ensuring transparency and good governance for the citizens.
Aregbesola said the ministry would collaborate with relevant security agencies through the sharing of information with the view to arresting all forms of security threats.
He observed that there was no meaningful development that would take place without adequate security.
“Therefore, Nigerians must begin to see security as everyone’s business if only the country is to move to the next level of socio-economic development,” he said.
The Minister pointed out that corruption was also a cankerworm that Nigerians must fight headlong, as there is no country in the world that can attain meaningful development with corruption.
“We must together fight this menace and ensure transparency in all our dealings,” he said.
He emphasised that the issue of Security, Economy and anti-corruption does not begin and end on Buhari’s table alone.
“It belongs to you, me and all Nigerians, We must all join hands with President Muhammadu Buhari to address these issues, politics and sentiments apart.
“We must begin to have a rethink that it is a battle that all Nigerians irrespective of their status in the society must together join hands with government to do away with them.
“We must together join hands as a team to move the country to the next level,” he affirmed.
Dambazau thanked Buhari for granting him the opportunity to serve, particularly in a Ministry that housed para-military officers.
He said it accorded him the opportunity as a retired military officer to learn more.
He dedicated his successes while in office to God, who elevated him to the peak of his career, both in the military and in academics and that it behoves on him now to serve the people.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Interior, Mrs Georgina Ehuriah, in her welcome address eulogised the former Minister.
She described him as “a workaholic boss” whose innumerable achievements had led to the actualisation of Buhari’s Change Agenda in the sector.
“These can be seen from the outstanding successes recorded by the Federal Fire Service through the acquisition of firefighting equipment, the Nigeria Prisons Service which culminated in the Nigeria Correctional Service and the Nigeria Immigration Service among others.”
Ehuriah added that Dambazau’s achievements in the promotion of internal security could not be forgotten in the history of Nigeria too soon.
“Many a man would have buckled under the pressure of the hydra headed security challenges confronting our beloved country.
“But you fought like the General that you are and just yesterday, you gave a passionate treatise replete with strategies to be deployed to achieve peace in the North East and Lake Chad area,” she said. (NAN)