Interior minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo says President Bola Tinubu has approved the employment of 50 medical doctors and 100 nurses across the nation’s correctional centres’ hospitals.

Mr Tunji-Ojo disclosed this on Tuesday when information minister Mohammed Idris paid him a courtesy visit in Abuja.

The minister said that the president’s approval followed the dearth of medical personnel in some correctional centres. He said that the hospital in the correctional centre in River had no medical doctor to render service to the inmates.

According to him, the equipment in some correctional centres, such as Kuje, can perform major surgery.

“The president understands that he is the president of all Nigerians, including those inmates. As father to all, he has always shown that he cares,” he said.

The minister said that the Federal Government had been training inmates via train-the-trainer programmes.

Mr Tunji-Ojo underscored the need for the Ministry of Information and National Reorientation to showcase and communicate the achievements recorded by the Ministry of Interior to the Nigerian public.

“We want you to come and see some of the things we have been able to achieve. In terms of our national security strategy, we want to collaborate more with you so that there can be a coordinated communication strategy.

“In NSCDC, we’ve created what we call the mine marshals in collaboration with the Ministry of Solid Minerals. Now securing our minefields. You can see that the effect is there. There is a reduction in criminality and violence within this sector. And also, protection of critical national assets,” he said.

(NAN)