Interior minister rated high on immigration, prison reforms

The Nigeria Citizen Action Group, (NCAG), has said that the Federal Government’s reforms in the areas of immigration and prisons are yielding results evident in passport issuance, visa processing, and recent reforms in the Nigerian Correctional Service, (NCoS) and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

The group made up of over 112 Civil Society Organizations, (CSOs), said in Abuja that following a government performance assessment by the ‘Annual Citizen Rating Nigeria’, the Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo has emerged as the ‘Best Performing Minister of the Year 2024’.

Acting Executive Director of Societal Safety Network (SSN), Salahudeen Lukman, who spoke for the group, said that the coalition is pleased with the reforms championed by Dr. Tunji-Ojo and has declared him as the best-performing minister for the outgone year, 2024.

He said “This recognition is based on the Annual Citizen Rating Nigeria, an independent assessment of public service performance and accountability, conducted to evaluate the impact of government officials on national development.

“Under his leadership, the Ministry of Interior has undergone remarkable transformation, recording unprecedented achievements in its core mandates, including the overhaul of Nigeria’s passport system by ensuring faster processing, eliminating bottlenecks, enhancing service delivery and the introduction of online Visa Processing thereby revolutionizing the visa application process to improve ease of travel and business transactions.”

Other areas of positive reforms listed by the group are prison reforms through enhancing correctional facilities and implementing policies that promote rehabilitation and decongestion, seamless and transparent recruitment exercises in the paramilitary agencies under the ministry which he said were conducted credible and merit-based to restore public trust.

The group also pointed to the increased Internally Generated Revenue, (IGR), by the Ministry of Interior through the marriage registry following improved and digitized marriage registry services, contributing significantly to national revenue.

The NCAG, under the leadership of Lukman, and his secretary, Mohammed Mohammed, of the Northern Youth for Defence of Democracy, said the group is committed to promoting excellence, accountability, and citizen-driven governance.

“Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo’s outstanding performance exemplifies the spirit of effective public service and leadership, in alignment with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda. His innovations have not only improved service delivery but also strengthened national security and economic development,” the group said.

“We urge all public officials to emulate his dedication and commitment to national progress.”