Interior minister proposes establishment of Para-military Academy for career training

BY UKPONO UKPONG

In a bid to address gaps in current paramilitary training standards and improve the overall quality of personnel serving in Nigeria’s paramilitary agencies, the Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, yesterday advocated for the creation of a Para-military Academy in Nigeria.

This he said, will help to provide structured career training for young Nigerians, as the academy would not only align Nigerian paramilitary agencies with global best practices, but willPPPPpqqqp0 prepare officers to meet the nation’s complex security challenges more effectively.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of a two-day Performance Contract Signing Retreat organised for senior officials of the Ministry and the para-military institutions under it, the Minister said the para-military agencies should step up their games on internal security for peace and national growth.

The Retreat had the theme:” United front for a secure nation and future” with all the para-military services such as the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, (NSCDC), the Nigeria Immigration Service, (NIS) the Nigeria Correctional Service, (NCoS) and the Federal Fire Service, (FFS) participating.

Dr. Tunji-Ojo drew parallels to existing institutions like the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) and the Police Academy, where young recruits receive training aligned with both local needs and international standards.

While emphasizing the potential for young Nigerians to build lasting careers in the paramilitary sector, rather than seeing it merely as a job opportunity, he expressed a vision for the proposed academy to attract secondary school1 graduates who would be molded into skilled professionals within the paramilitary field.

“It’s time for us to really think about setting up a Para-military Academy. We really have to think about that. I do not want the paramilitary agencies in Nigeria to just be in place for people who are just desirous of job.

“I want the paramilitary to be a career for a young secondary school leaver, just like the way you go to the police academy. Just like the way you go to NDA. We want them to build a career across the paramilitary, and we catch them young,” he explained.

Speaking further, the minister made it clear that he will not defend the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS) regarding ethical lapses tied to recent allegations involving cross-dresser Idris Okuneye, also known as Bobrisky.

Addressing the conduct of paramilitary agencies under his ministry, Tunji-Ojo emphasized, “I will not defend the agencies if they erred while carrying out their responsibilities.”

This statement comes after a Federal Government panel revealed that there was no evidence that Bobrisky evaded his six-month jail term, though it reported that he received certain privileges, a practice the panel deemed “unethical and unacceptable.”

Speaking to officials of the NCoS, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Nigeria Immigration Service, and Federal Fire Service, he highlighted the importance of security for national growth.

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“Without security, you can’t talk about investment… stabilization of the capital or money market, or even employment. So it means that there is no productivity without security,” he said, underscoring the role of the Ministry of Interior in ensuring internal stability.

The Minister further encouraged a focus on rehabilitation within the NCoS, insisting it must serve as a “place where hopes are renewed and not a place where hopes are truncated.” He said

Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Dr. Magdalene Ajani, said the retreat is an opportunity for staff and agencies in the ministry to “renew our shared sense of duty and commitment to the core mandate of the government.

According to her, staff and personnel of the Ministry should rededicate themselves to fostering an environment where every Nigerian can feel safe, protected and empowered.

“Today’s gathering is more than a contract Signing ceremony, it is a covenant of accountability and a promise to deliver on Mr. President’s renewed hope agenda,” Dr Ajani said.