By Samuel Oamen
Special Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, has offered insights into how Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, held members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) spell-bound with his scorecards.
In his weekly column titled Aregbesola comes to judgement, Adesina recounted how Aregbesola took time to explain the achievements of his ministry during the ministerial performance report, a peer review mechanism to appraise ministers.
He argued the reported rift between the Minister and his political mentor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, which incidentally broke on the same day was possibly intended as a distraction to the Minister.
Despite it, Adesina said Aregbesola more than impressed FEC members.
The Presidential aide said the Minister reported: “Within five months last year, the Federal Fire Service responded to 2,615 fire calls, saved 724 lives and assets worth N1.629 trillion across the country.
“At least 3,000 Custodial Centers are under construction and in various stages of completion in the six geo-political zones of the country. It would assuage the problem of congestion to a large extent.
‘’Custodial Farm Centres have been reactivated round the country for large scale agricultural production in piggery, fishing, cattle rearing and poultry. Tractors and harvesters have been procured to facilitate the work, and contribute to food security in the country. Trust President Buhari, any opportunity to feed Nigerians, he utilises.
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“The Federal Fire Service is now present in all states of the country, with 28 newly procured fire engines deployed.
“Six new fire service training schools have been established across the geo-political zones to cater for human capital development needs.
“Over 5,000 officers of the Civil Defence have been deployed to protect IDP camps, and re-occupy liberated towns and villages in the North-East.
“The Ministry has trained and deployed over 1,500 personnel as Agro-Rangers in Yobe and Adamawa states, to protect farmers and their farms. This will eventually go round the country as required.”
He submitted “Now, it is very easy for citizens to live their lives, and not be mindful of these agencies. They just take them for granted, reckoning that they must just be there.
“But after listening to the performance report of the Minister, one comes to grasp with the reality that they do make a lot of difference in the lives of the citizenry. Without them being efficiently there, lives would be a lot worse. Nasty, brutish and short.”
He added: “Minister Aregbesola took questions, made explanations, gave clarifications, and it was obvious that council members were satisfied.
“No wonder when the meeting was over, his well starched white Agbada billowed in the wind, as he left the Presidential Villa.”
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