The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has reiterated that Nigeria’s correctional facilities must serve as centres of rehabilitation and transformation rather than prisons of condemnation.
Tunji-Ojo made the remark on Saturday in Niger State during the signing of performance bonds with agencies under the Ministry of Interior.
According to him, ongoing reforms in the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS) are yielding results, but he stressed the need to sustain the momentum.
“Correctional Service is becoming transformational, rehabilitatory and reformatory — and that is exactly what I want to see,” he said.
“I don’t want our correctional centres to be places of condemnation.”
The minister urged the Controller-General of the NCoS to ensure that the institution truly lives up to its mandate and reflects its new name.
Tunji-Ojo also underscored the need to build enduring institutions rather than ministries or agencies that revolve around individuals.
“My dream is to build a ministry that will thrive even without me. That is what institutional strength means — building structures that outlive personalities,” he added.
The minister further commended the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) for its role in protecting critical infrastructure and tasked the Federal Fire Service to brace for reforms that would extend its mandate into emergency medical and rescue services.
He said agencies under the ministry must deliver fully on their mandates, noting that Nigerians should feel the impact of effective governance.
Giving an update on the ministry’s performance, Tunji-Ojo disclosed that it had improved from 62 per cent at its last retreat to 85 per cent. He, however, insisted that the ultimate goal should be 100 per cent.
“What we want is to cascade excellence across all agencies under the ministry. Nigerians must feel our impact. We cannot stop at 85 per cent — the goal is perfection,” he declared.
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