The Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo has set up a 13-man committee to conduct a need assessment on the nation’s borders.
The members of the committee are drawn from officials from 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.
According to statement on Saturday by the Ministry’s Director of Press, Afonja Ajibola, the minister announced the setting up of the committee on during a presentation on border management and control by a consultant in his office.
The statement 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”.
