President Bola Tinubu, on Thursday, broke decades of career stagnation that had deprived officers of deserved advancement by promoting more than 52,000 personnel across four paramilitary services within the Ministry of Interior in just two years of office.

Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, disclosed this at the Headquarters of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) in Abuja during the decoration of newly promoted senior officers across the four paramilitary agencies – the NIS, Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and Federal Fire Service (FFS).

The officers, who are now Deputy Comptrollers General, Deputy Controllers General, or Deputy Commandants General, depending on the service arm to which they belong, were elevated through a process described by the minister as transparent and merit-driven.

“Many officers retired without attaining positions they merited, not because they lacked competence but because promotions were irregular. Today, this administration has promoted over 52,000 officers in just two years,” he said.

According to Tunji-Ojo, the reforms initiated by President Tinubu are not only promoting welfare but also anchoring the process on fairness, merit and inclusivity.

He noted that officers’ examinations were independently conducted and marked by the Nigerian Army Resource Centre before being ratified by the board.

“Your appointment came as a result of presidential approval. It is not just a promotion but an appointment. None of you is here on courtesy, whether you deserve it or not. If you are good enough to be DCG, then you are good enough to be CG,” he added.

He explained that the federal character principle was applied to ensure inclusivity across geopolitical zones while merit and seniority remained the decisive factors.

The minister praised Tinubu for restoring dignity to the services by ensuring vacancies at the highest levels no longer remain unfilled for months.

According to him, more than 80 per cent of the newly decorated DCGs were previously promoted to Assistant Comptrollers General ACGs under the current administration.

In addition to promotions, Tunji-Ojo listed other welfare interventions, including increased salaries, special allowances, the eradication of stagnation, and life pensions for retired DCGs and CGs.

“This government has shown more support than any other in the history of the country. It believes that to whom much is given, much is expected,” he stressed.

Charging the agencies with performance, the minister directed the NIS to secure borders, the NCoS to transform prisons into correctional centres, the FFS to establish itself as first responders, and the NSCDC to safeguard critical national assets.

“The time to rise to your responsibility is not tomorrow. It began yesterday. Let us be catalysts of change and show that the government did not make a mistake in entrusting us with these mandates,” he urged.

Representing the newly decorated officers, Dr. Ngozi Odikpo expressed gratitude to President Tinubu for his “visionary commitment” to the country’s safety and security, pledging loyalty, diligence, and integrity in service.