INTERIOR MINISTRY PARTNERS HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS AND POVERTY ALLEVIATION

Honourable Minister of Interior Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo and Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation Dr. Betta Edu agreed to partner in order to drive home the policy thrust of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the reduction of extreme poverty amongst Nigerians.

Inline with this, a joint inter-ministerian committee of the two Ministries had been agreed to be formed to achieve success.

The Minister of Interior stated that the two Ministries have semblance in their mandates adding that only in collaboration the two Ministries would achieve success, as no one achieves success operating in silos.

Hence formation of a joint committee, inline with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the President.

This feat was made on Tuesday while the Minister of Interior Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, played host to the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation Dr. Betta Edu, who was on a courtesy visit in his office, Abuja.

Dr. Tunji-Oju, appreciated Humanitarian Affairs Minister for broadening her Ministry's mandates to cover vulnerable ex- service men of Services under the supervision of the Ministry and inmates of Correctional facilities.

He said this is an important meeting and also the Minister appreciated her and said "I like working with people with focused, ambitious and with clear road mark to achieve success.

However, while retorting to the excitement of Nigerians in diaspora, as shared by the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo reiterated that Nigerians must not be relegated from being citizens of Nigeria by denying them passport.

He emphatically stated that he is in apologetic, the Ministry must get it right, adding that he receives update every morning, stating that this morning out of the two hundred thousand passports backlog he instructed to be cleared in two weeks as promised by Nigeria Immigration Service, he said so far, about 55.9 thousand passports has been cleared, he therefore assured that by the time the backlogs are cleared, Nigerians would have their passport within two weeks upon application

Earlier, the Honourable Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Beta Edu, applauded Minister of Interior for taking his work head-on, said her Ministry Mandate has been expanded to cover greater parts of Nigerians, that about 16 million Nigerians are displaced due to insecurity, thereby causing humanitarian crises.

She also said her Ministry is ready to intervene in the provision of soft loan to the Widows of the deceased of NSCDC, Correctional officers, Men and Officers of Nigeria Immigration Service and Fire Service officers. Also inmates of Correctional facilities would enjoy similar intervention through skills acquisition program.

She however said the Federation Fire Service is first respondent to disaster, said her attention would be given in that direction.

Dignitaries in attendance are Permanent Secretary Ministry of Interior Dr Oluwatoyin Akinlade, Directors in the Ministry, CGs of Agencies, DG NAPTIP, Directors of Humanitarian Affairs Ministry and the Minister's aids.