Interior Minister Sets Up Border Protection Committee

By Akinwale Kasali

The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has set up a 13-man Committee to conduct an assessment of  the nation’s borders.

Members of the Committee were drawn from officials of the Ministry, Nigeria Immigration Service, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Federal Fire Service, Border Community Development Agency, Community Boundary Commission, and a consultant.

The Committee named,  “Integrated Border Governance Committee”, was charged by the Minister to develop a plan to adequately secure Nigeria’s borders.

The Committee was given 18 weeks to deliver on its mandates.

A statement on Saturday by the Ministry’s Director of Press, Afonja Ajibola, said the Minister set up the Committee during a presentation on border management and control by a consultant in his office.

It partly read: ”Tunji-Ojo instructed that the Committee should endeavor to have a robust deliberation and create a border management plan that is implementable to secure the country.

“The Minister said what is of importance to him about border management is the aspect of internal security which he said is a massive task which requires the synergy of all critical stakeholders.

“He painted a scenario of Nigerians community at borderline attending school in the neighboring foreign country. Tunji-Ojo, added that the loyalty of that Nigerian would naturally be with the foreign country, he then queried, how would the country achieve security.

“The Minister said the country must stop paying a lip service to border management. He said that enough budgetary allocation must be made available for the provision of social infrastructures to these contiguous border communities for the people to feel belonged to their country.”