By Victoria Onyisi
The Minister of Interior Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has set up a 13 member committee to draw up a road map for integrated border governance to identify the needs assessment of the nation’s borders.
He urged the committee to have a robust deliberation and create a border management plan that is implementable to secure the country.
Tunji-Ojo, setup the committee on Friday during a presentation on border management and control by a consultant in his office, Abuja.
The Committee member is composed of 13 man, drawn from the Ministry and its Agencies: Director Joint Services as the Chairman, members includes Director Planing Research and Statistics, Director Legal.
Other committee members include: Nigeria Immigration Service, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Federal Fire Service, Border Community Development Agency, Community Boundary Commission and the Consultant.
The Minister said what is of importance to him about border management is the aspect of internal security which he said is a massive task which requires the synergy of all critical stakeholders.
He painted a scenario of Nigerians community at borderline attending school in the neighboring foreign country, Dr. Tunji-Ojo, added that the loyalty of that Nigerian would naturally be with the foreign country, he then queried, how would the country achieve security.
The Minister said the country must stop paying a lip service to border management, he conversed that enough budgetary allocation must be made available for the provision of social infrastructures to these contiguous border communities for the people to feel belonged to their country.
The committee has eighteen weeks to finish its assignment.