The former Minister of Interior, Abdulrahman Dambazau, has said his team was able to turn around the fortunes of the ministry within the last four years.
Dambazau, who said this at the handing over ceremony at the ministry headquarters on Tuesday, stressed that the ministry had helped President Muhammadu Buhari to achieve the three cardinal goals of his administration – Security, improved economy and fight against corruption – under his watch.
“I’m going to leave a ministry behind that I enjoyed working in but also, I know that I’m going to leave the ministry better than I met it,” he said.
He said there were issues with security, recruitment, infrastructure and general welfare of staff before his appointment, which have all been taken care of.
Dambazau also said the ministry had been able to make over N113 billion and over $112 million in revenue for government between 2016 and 2018.
“We have met the minimum standard for the treatment and rehabilitation of inmates and we have received UNESCO and other international organizations’ commendation for the feat.
“In Abuja, there was only one rickety fire truck without tires when we came-in in 2015 but today, the same fire service can boost of over 40 new fire trucks,” he added.
Dambazau also said the introduction of Agro rangers have helped minimized the crisis between farmers and herdsmen, adding that with the approval of the E-border project by the Federal Executive Council, the problem of trans-border crimes will be a thing of the past.
Dambazau handed over the affairs of the ministry to the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Barrister Georgina Ehuriah, in accordance with President Buhari’s directive to all ministers to handover their respective ministries today, Tuesday.