By Joshua Tosin Ogunsakin 
The Coalition of Southeast Youths (CSEYD), a leading pan-Igbo political pressure group, has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for retaining Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo as Interior Minister.
The group had previously advocated for a cabinet reshuffle, specifically merging the Ministry of Police Affairs with the Ministry of Interior to enhance internal security and eliminate identity theft.
According to a statement issued on Thursday by the Coordinator of CSEYD, Wisdom Akunna, Tunji-Ojo’s leadership has transformed the Interior Ministry, with notable achievements in correctional centers, including improved aesthetics and inmate wellbeing.
The ministry has also recorded significant milestones, including a 50% increase in daily feeding allowance for inmates, clearance of fines and compensations worth #585million, and completion of ultra-modern factories in Borno and Abia states.
Additionally, the ministry has promoted over 60,000 paramilitary officers, established a functional pensions board, cleared a backlog of 204,333 passports, and developed state-of-the-art infrastructure at the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) headquarters.
These accomplishments have strengthened national security, improved citizens’ confidence in the Immigration services, and eliminated identity theft.
The CSEYD has reiterated its call for President Tinubu to merge the Police Affairs ministry with the Interior Ministry to synchronize internal security architecture and increase budgetary allocations for greater productivity.
“We are however impressed with the fact that Mr President listened to the overwhelming opinion of Nigerians on the retention of Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo as Interior Minister based on the transformative leadership and the cocktail of achievements recorded by that Ministry under his watch.
“For example, the correctional centres across the country have recorded significant improvement in both aesthetics and inmate wellbeing which is a paradigm shift from punitive to holistic rehabilitation. Response to challenges around these custodial centres have received prompt, definite and wholehearted attention;
“In August alone, an approval of a 50% increase in daily feeding allowance per inmate was achieved while orchestrating the clearance of fines and compensations worth #585million for 4,068 inmates across the country as evidence in the push to strengthen our criminal justice system;
“This year under review, with strong commitments to partnerships entered into by the Ministry through the Nigeria Correctional Services, an ultra modern furniture factory was completed at Borno state while a garments and shoes factory has been completed at Abia State;
“The Interior Ministry has also ended years of stagnation in the paramilitary services under its supervision by ensuring the promotion of over 60,000 senior and junior officers across the Immigration, Civil Defence and Immigration services. Also a functional Pensions Board has been established aligning paramilitary salaries with those of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).
“CSYED also notes that under the supervision of the Interior Ministry, there has been clearance of a backlog of 204,333 passports at the NIS, completion of state-of-the-art Data Center and Command and Control Center at the NIS headquarters for ease of visa and passport application, installation of E-gates at several airports across the country. All these red tires confidence in the Immigration services capability to meet citizens’ needs, fortifies national security and eliminates identity theft.
“We call on Mr President to once again reconsider our earlier recommendation for the merger of the Police Affairs ministry inorder to synchronize all our internal security architecture and improve on the budgetary allocations to the Interior Ministry inorder to ensure greater productivity”, the statement said.