The Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, has advocated for policies and programme to boost effectiveness and efficiency internal security.

Speaking at the Second Ministerial Retreat of the Ministry of Interior on Thursday in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, Aregbesola charged agencies under Interior Ministry to put in place policies and programme that would ensure effectiveness and efficiency toward Improving internal security.

He said. “At the back of our mind, we must never forget, above all things, that our main purpose is to serve the people by strengthening internal security and give all the people resident in the country the peace of mind they deserve.”

He also called on the agencies under the ministry to forge strategic alliance with sister agencies.

He said: “It is also important for the four agencies to forge strategic alliances with other agencies, especially in light of new security challenges to our facilities and the nation at large.”

The Minister charged the participants to speak freely and make creative and intelligent contributions, stressing that: “This retreat should also afford us critical and creative thinking and original solutions and ideas. Everyone should speak freely but creatively and intelligently. No one should be a bench warmer.”

Aregbesola, who acknowledged the extraordinary times the nation is in, assured Nigerians that the Federal Government is on top of the situation in tackling the security challenges. “We are facing unique challenges that will define how we live, moving forward. As a result, there is no shortage of work to be done, or responsibilities to bear. The Federal Government is rising up to the new challenge posed by these attacks”

He said in order to achieve Mr President’s mandate, there is an urgent need to put in place well thought-out policies and programme that would ensure effectiveness and efficiency toward improving internal security. “There is need to determine where we are on the delivery of internal security, the challenges and the limitations. These would enable us develop plans and strategies with timelines for effective service delivery.”

The Controller General of Federal Fire Service. Dr. Liman Ibrahim, who was one of the discussants at the retreat while presenting a paper with the theme “Improving Nigeria’s Preparedness for Internal Security and Public safety Threats:A case study for a medium Term strategic Plan“ disclosed the laid down strategies of the service in developing Internal Security, highlighting the objective of the service which is to bring to the barest minimum fire outbreaks which will foster a developed nation, further elaborated the laid out strategy of the service.

He told participants, the efforts of the service at ensuring safety of lives and property by putting in place regulations such as the Fire Policy , Fire safety Code , Standard operating procedures, are geared at improving the confidence of Investors .

Ibrahim said he has used advocacy as a tool to ensure assets are been protected by engaging State Governors on the need to equip the Fire Services in their various states, He said the Service have ensured that its personnel are well trained so as to protect lives and property for an accelerated developed nation.

The retreat which continues on Friday through Saturday, with the theme“Developing Internal Security and Public Safety towards a Five-year Strategic Plan for Accelerated National Development,” will end with the production of a Five Years Strategic Plan for the Ministry and its agencies.