Mike Ejiofor is a former Director at Department of State Services (DSS). In this interview, he speaks on the appointment of the first female DeputyDirector General of DSS, why her appointment will lead to career growth, sets agenda for the agency in 2025, among others. JOY ANIGBOGU brings the excerpts:
What are your thoughts about the appointment of Folashade Adekaiyaoja as the Deputy Director DSS?
I want to thank Mr. President for this landmark appointment. I also thank the National Security Adviser (NSA) for taking the initiative to make this recommendation. First of all, in the extant rule establishing the security service, the position of Deputy Director General has been there, but for whatever reason, nobody has taken the bull by the horn to implement it. I think it was only the DG before the last one that tried to expand the last structure to get to the Assistant DG. Most of the officers see themselves as director being there for eight years and more because there is no more progression for you. But when this DDG rank was expanded just like you have in other security services, like in the police you have the Assistant Inspector General, DeputyInspector General. The same thing in civil defence or immigration and the rest of them. So, it is only in DSS that we don’t follow that structure. Having done that it is very motivational because it inspires the staff. You have expansion at the top because the top was too heavy because there was no room for expansion. What happens is that you have an Assistant Director General. There is a position for two Deputy Director General but presently it is only one that is the most senior that is qualified to be appointed deputy Director General. These are purely administrative issues in the state security service. I have been inundated with calls. The DG DSS in his usual way wouldn’t want to expose such things in the press. It is my duty as I have always done to at least enlighten the members of the public, because people will begin to have different interpretations.
The new DDG that has been appointed, is the most senior and the only one qualified for now to be appointed DDG. There is still provision for expansion for the appointment of another Deputy Director General. I think the DG should take the initiative to also make such appointments. What does it do for the service in general? I will tell you that it calls for celebration even among retired staff. Remember that the President also appointed this DG from within the service, so he knows the challenges within the service unlike previous ones appointed as either retired people or people from outside to head the service. So, this is very inspirational, and I can tell you that feelers from the service indicate that people are very happy. You know that when you are talking of gender sensitivity, for her to be lucky to be appointed at this particular time says a lot about professionalism as promised through the NSA by the president that he would make sure that there is professionalism in the service and there is need for us to tackle our challenges. You can see that the staff will become very productive. He has come out with a lot of welfare packages. There is so much he has to do and he needs our support and he needs encouragement from Nigerians to assist the agency to collect information which will help us fight insecurity. So, it is a welcome development.
It is a welcome development especial in the area of gender sensitivity, how do you clarify a point of conversation that has emerged in the public space; people saying that her appointment has raised some concerns about federal character, though she comes from Kogi state but she is Yoruba. People are saying how can the DG and the DDG be both Yoruba, please clarify that?
That is a very interesting question. I have received some calls where people have questioned it; why should it be Yoruba? First of all Kogi is in North Central, Kogi is not in the South West. The DG is from the South West, besides like I explained, she is the most senior and most qualified. So, you don’t bring politics into the service. In terms of appointments of state directors, DDGs and directors, yes we observe federal character in appointments, but you know that you cannot strictly follow character appointments over competence and capacity in a service like this. But for now, by providence, she is the most senior and only one qualified to be appointed DDG. So, there is no problem about that. I think it is one of the reasons that made me say that God put her there. It is her luck and it is divine. She is a woman and she is the most qualified to be so appointed.
Part of this appointment, beyond being celebrated as the first woman to occupy that position, is the president’s desire to make the agency more efficient. He started by thanking and congratulating the president for this appointment, what are the other things that must be done to make the agency more efficient?
I am a pensioner from the service. Since the current DG came in, my pension has been enhanced. How he did it, I don’t know. Welfare of staff is paramount in his pragmatic approach to motivating the staff. Promotions are being released. In fact, it is not in my position to begin to discuss certain issues on air because this is a covert organisation and he has come out to say that his operation will now be covert. I can tell you that he has within this short period motivated staff in terms of training, in terms of welfare, in terms of promotion. A lot of innovations are coming in and the staff are very happy. The retired people are also happy with him. He has brought a lot of innovations and besides welfare of staff and motivation of staff, you can see a lot of collaboration and synergy between the other agencies which is what is helping us in achieving the result that we are achieving now. When he was appointed, the president did emphasize that there was a need for all the agencies to synergize and work together. I am also in touch with some of the service chiefs who have confirmed that this is a different DG from what we used to have. We need to encourage him to do more for the staff and for the country.
Some people are asking whether it is necessary to publicize these appointments, in view of a new strategy in communication of the DSS?
The DSS didn’t issue any statement with regards to that. The President approved the appointment, and it was released from the office of the NSA that such an appointment had been made. It is good that people should know that there are some structural adjustments within the service. This is a landmark, and it is a very strategic appointment that should not be swept under the carpet, but the DSS didn’t issue any statement on that.
Beyond appointments as highlighted from the position of the DSS there is room for three deputy directors, how can those positions be completed so as to improve efficiency and reduce the top heaviness of the agency?
You have virtually answered the question. With the creation of this Deputy Director General position, it will call for expansion and accommodation of various groups in terms of federal character. Like I said earlier when you have these DDGs duly appointed, you will have one in charge of administration, another one in charge of operations and I don’t how how the third one will be but that will be purely administrative. What I will tell you is that this is a welcome development that will encourage staff’s career progression. When you get to a particular place and you are stunted, it doesn’t encourage you or when somebody from outside is brought to come and head the place, it doesn’t help career progression. I think that this expansion at the top will also encourage career progression, not a situation where you have only DG, you don’t have Deputy Director General, you don’t have Assistant Director General. These are offices that have been created to encourage staff in their career progression. If the DG, Tosn Ajayi had been selfish he would have left it the way others did but because he believes in professionalising the service he had to expand to encourage people.
If you are to set a security agenda for 2025 what are the major things you would be looking at?
I think it is very critical that we assess our approach and don’t forget that the DG is new. He has been establishing contacts with the service commanders on the way forward. For me as a person we should prioritise the issue of our security challenges. There are some that are political, there are some that we will use kinetic approach and there are some that we will use non-kinetic approaches. For instance, we have achieved a lot of successes in the north east until recently when we started having some isolated cases. Look at the north west you have the issue of lakurawa. Since their inception you can agree with me that after their first initial appearance, much has not been heard from lakurawa because of the activities of intelligence and security forces. When you come to the South East, I think that the government should take the initiative to have a political solution to the issue in the south east, especially the issue of unknown gunmen and Nnamdi Kanu.
I will strongly appeal to the government to use this opportunity to unconditionally release Nnamdi Kanu. Let us see because people are killing innocent people and claiming that they are fighting for Nnamdi Kanu, and Nnamdi Kanu has condemned this issue and has talked about sit-at-home that he is not in support of. How can you be fighting for a people and at the same time destroying their economy and their means of livelihood? I think the government should look at the issues and I am happy that the Federal Government has the largest budget for security and defence and that shows you the concern that the government is showing. I think it is not just budgeting, there should be proper scrutiny and oversight function from the National Assembly to ensure that monies meant for such are used judiciously.
Culled from The Independent