Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo says President Bola Tinubu has ended decades of career stagnation in the nation’s paramilitary services with reforms that prioritised merit, welfare, and rapid promotions.

The minister said this on Thursday in Abuja at the decoration of newly appointed senior officers of the four paramilitary agencies under the Ministry of Interior.

The agencies are the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and Federal Fire Service (FFS).

The ranks include deputy comptroller generals, deputy controller generals, and deputy commandant generals.

Mr Tunji-Ojo said the elevation was more than a promotion, but a presidential appointment anchored on merit, competence, and transparent processes.

While stressing that federal character was applied to ensure inclusiveness across all geopolitical zones, he stated that seniority and merit remained the sole basis for appointments.

The minister commended the president for reforms that have restored dignity to the services, saying that stagnation had long deprived competent officers of deserved career progression.

“Many officers retired without attaining positions they merited, not because they lacked competence but because promotions were irregular,” he said. “Today, this administration has promoted over 52,000 officers in just two years.”

Mr Tunji-Ojo recalled that vacancies for DCGs had in the past remained unfilled for 10 to 12 months but said the Tinubu administration had broken the jinx by consistently filling such positions.

According to him, more than 80 per cent of those decorated as DCGs were promoted to ACGs under the current government.

He further listed welfare interventions, including increased salaries, peculiar allowances, the eradication of career stagnation, and approval of life pensions for retired DCGs and CGs.

“This government has shown more support than any other in the history of the country. It believes that to whom much is given, much is expected,” he said.

Mr Tunji-Ojo assured that the ministry would continue to innovate in line with global best practices and encouraged the DCGs to contribute fresh ideas.

Citing ongoing reforms, he highlighted the passport revolution and centralised processing in immigration and infrastructure at the Federal Fire Academy.

He said this included innovations in correctional centres, such as the Kuje Abuja facility, which is now operating beyond hospital standards, and the NSCDC’s work in critical asset protection.

The newly appointed and decorated DCGs of the nation’s paramilitary services pledged to serve with dedication, diligence, and uncompromising integrity as they assume their new responsibilities.

Speaking on behalf of the appointees, Ngozi Odikpo described the president’s commitment to the safety and security of the nation as a great source of strength, adding that his vision inspired them to serve with unwavering dedication and integrity.

(NAN)