The Minister of Interior Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, has solicited for understanding and cooperation of Nigerians in the current fight against insecurity in the country, assuring citizens that the Federal Government is bent on taking necessary steps to arrest the situation.
Aregbesola who made the plea while receiving a delegation of the Executive members of the Nigeria Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), led by its President, Mallam Sirajo Muktar, in Abuja, reassured Nigerians that measures are being put in place to curtail insurgency and other security challenges in Nigeria.
He therefore urged Nigerians to cooperate with the government in waring against insurgency, by reporting any information capable of jeopardizing the wellbeing of citizens or breach of peace to the nearest security agencies around them.
“Don’t keep any secret information about security to yourself , report to the nearby security agencies, ” he charged.
The Minister however revealed that it is because the insurgents in the North East are seriously being dealt with, and their perceived visibility being severely degraded that some of their escapees are running to other places.
Aregbesola also used the occasion to announce the intention of the Federal Government to bring sanity to the issuance and renewal of passport and the Ministry’s determination in eliminating corruption associated with obtaining the travelling document.
According to him, citizens should visit the Immigration Service Portal to register online for issuance of passport. The process, the Minister said, is not only seamless while the online application under the new scheme is geared towards enhancing transparency and corruption elimination.
He equally warned members of the public to stop patronising touts or uniformed officers in processing their passports, as their actions are illegal and unwarranted.
On measures being taken to fast track passport procurement, Aregbesola assured that more Data capturing Centres will be opened across the six Geo-political zones of the country to ease the difficulties being faced during the processing of e-passport.
As part of concerted effort of the Federal Government to secure the lives and property of Nigerians and ensure positive public perception of its activities, the Interior Minister also expressed the readiness of his Ministry to partner with relevant stakeholders, including the NIPR, in sensitsing the public and channelling their energies towards national development.
He hinted that specific areas of collaboration would include training of officers and men of the Ministry and its Agencies on effective communication, Public Relations and prompt reportage of the Ministry’s activities to the general public to sustain its positive image.
The Minister also urged the Institute to step up it’s plate and play a frontline role in information dissemination and promoting positives narratives on government’s efforts. He maintained that the NIPR plays prominent roles in balanced information, interactive and perception management and developmental information, which are greatly needed at this critical time of the nation’s development.
“The role of your Institute on national development through rapid promotion and development of perception, as well as management of communication cannot be overemphasized.” He maintained.