The Honourable Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has commended retired personnel for their years of dedicated service to the nation, emphasizing that the welfare of uniformed officers remains a top priority of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The Minister made this statement on Wednesday while receiving a delegation from the Forum of Retired Controllers-General, Comptrollers-General, and Deputy Controllers-General. The delegation, led by retired Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service, Chukwura Joseph Udeh, paid a courtesy visit to his office.
“Mr. President believes in Renewed Hope as a way of life. Nation-building is not only about infrastructure but also about investing in people. He does not see your welfare as a slogan but as a responsibility. It is the least you deserve, having sacrificed the better part of your lives in service to Nigeria. We must never allow you, in old age, to regret your decision to serve this country,” he said.
The Honourable Minister further stressed that no officer should retire into hardship or indignity after years of dedicated service, highlighting the government’s commitment to prioritizing the welfare of retired personnel. “As statesmen, you deserve to retire with dignity and honour,” he added.
“The service is not what it used to be. It has never been this improved for paramilitary agencies. This administration has repositioned the services in terms of welfare, salaries, pensions, insurance, and career progression. Today, our officers wear their uniforms with pride and are no longer subjected to neglect or ridicule. Mr. President has demonstrated this through concrete actions, not just words,” he said.
Tunji-Ojo also revealed that the Ministry had cleared longstanding promotion backlogs and recently conducted promotion examinations across the services.
“Personnel can now attain the appropriate ranks at the right time and have clearer career progression paths, which is highly motivating. When you join the service, you commit to giving your best to the nation, and the nation, in turn, must be willing to give you its best,” the Minister said.
Earlier, in his remarks, retired NIS Comptroller-General, Chukwura Udeh, stated that the purpose of their visit was to convey their deep appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, through the Honourable Minister of Interior, for approving a lifetime salary structure for senior officers of the services — the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Federal Fire Service (FFS), and the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS).
Udeh noted that the approval of the lifetime salary structure had been a long-standing issue that persisted across previous administrations.
“On our behalf, kindly extend our appreciation to Mr. President. What has now been approved, which may seem simple, caused us immense hardship over the years. We were abandoned midway by previous administrations, but we will always remember that you have helped humanity,” he said.
E-Signed
Mary Ali (Mrs)
Head, Press and Public Relations
15th April 2026
