Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has urged top officers of the four Paramilitary agencies under the Ministry to champion a culture of innovation, discipline and knowledge-driven leadership across their agencies.
Addressing senior officers at a capacity development workshop on Performance Management System (PMS), on Monday in Abuja, the minister said that the era when rank and longevity alone guaranteed promotion had passed.
He called for a departure from outdated methods and encouraged leaders to open their offices to ideas from junior officers, insisting that no one holds a monopoly of knowledge.
Tunji-Ojo emphasised the need for officers to constantly improve themselves, noting that he personally attended refresher courses quarterly.
“The day you stop learning is the day you die,” he said, urging officers to research modern practices and apply fresh thinking in their agencies.
“Some of you joined the service when there was no internet or drones. Today, technology drives operations. You cannot use 1991 ideas to solve 2025 problems,”he said.
The Minister reminded participants that public decisions affected millions of Nigerians, stressing that poor decisions by security leaders could compromise national safety and welfare.
He said that training was part of the government’s duty to build competent officers, adding that it would be wrong to demand performance from untrained personnel.
He added that efficiency, value addition, and new ideas were now major requirements for advancement, and announced plans to reward innovative officers.
“There must be rewards for forward-thinking. Let us revive medals for innovation,” he said.
Tunji-Ojo praised the intellectual quality of Nigeria’s paramilitary workforce and urged Comptroller-Generals to give room for constructive inputs.
He encouraged officers to cascade the training to subordinates, stressing the durability of institutions over individuals.
“Ministry of Interior has existed since 1957. We will come and go, but these institutions will remain. Let us build systems that outlast us,” he said.
In his goodwill message, the Controller General, Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS), Mr Sylvester Nwakuche, commended the Ministry of Interior for its renewed commitment to performance-driven reforms.
Nwakuche said that the capacity-building programme on PMS marked a significant step toward institutional excellence across the ministry’s agencies.
He praised the minister for his visionary leadership and unwavering commitment to strengthening systems, accountability, and results delivery across agencies.
These, he said, were all under the ministry in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
“Under his guidance, we have witnessed a renewed drive to strengthen systems, improve accountability, and ensure that every agency delivers tangible results.
“The training is timely and demonstrates the ministry’s determination to entrench a culture where performance is planned, measured and continuously improved.
“For us in the NCoS, this conversation could not be more relevant. To achieve true correction and reformation, we must also reform ourselves. The way we plan, evaluate, and deliver our responsibilities,” he said.
Nwakuche explained that a robust performance management system translates institutional goals into measurable deliverables and transforms performance evaluation from an annual routine into an ongoing process of growth, accountability and measurable results.
He urged participants to engage fully with the training and apply the lessons in their duties, stressing that its success would be measured by improvements in planning, execution and results delivery when officers return to their posts.
“Ultimately, progress begins with personal accountability. When each of us takes ownership of our roles, we build a collective culture of excellence,” he noted.
Other Comptroller, Commandant and Controller Generals pledged their support for Tinubu led Administration to ensure effective and efficient service delivery across the country.
The training was organised for officers of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) and Federal Fire Service (FFS).(NAN)
