The National Assembly has sought more clarifications from the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola over an executive bill which seeks to bring all para-military agencies under a single governing board.
Currently, only the Nigerian Immigration Services and the Nigerian Correctional Services come under the governing board while the amendment to the bill seeks to bring under the same board the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps and the Federal Fire Services.
President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan and Speaker of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila, had read President Muhammadu Buhari’s letter on the executive bill dated February 9, 2022, at the plenary on February 15, 2022.
The cover letter read in part, “Pursuant to Section 58(2) of 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), I forward, herewith, the Civil Defence, Correctional, Federal Fire and Immigration Services Board Bill, 2022, for the kind consideration of the Senate.
“The Civil Defence, Correctional, Federal Fire and Immigration Services Board Bill, 2022 seeks to establish the Civil Defence, Correctional, Federal Fire and Immigration Services Board to adequately reflect the current relationship between the Board, Corps and the Services and align their composition, structure, functions and practices to attain the intended mandate of the services.”
Answering members of the House of Representatives on Friday, Aregbesola had stated that the objective of the amendment was to “align the functions and structure of the organisations.”
Aregbesola added that the executive bill was “seeking amendment to the Nigeria Immigration and Prisons Governing Board, to bring the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corp and the Federal Fire Service under the purview of the board to conform with related laws and practices.”