*Oyo NUJ Chairman lauds creation of Migration Homeland Security office by Gov Makinde
By; BAYO AKAMO, Ibadan
The Special Adviser to Governor Seyi Makinde on Migration and Homeland Security, Mr Segun Adegoke has disclosed that the state government is determined to manage the inflow and outflow of people and products in the state.
Mr Adegoke said this during a courtesy visit to the executive of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Oyo State Council at the Union Press centre in Ibadan, where he was received by the chairman, Chief Ademola Babalola.
According to the Special Adviser to Governor Makinde, the office of Migration and Homeland Security was created to boost security, sustainable economic growth as well as to safeguard Oyo State from criminal activities and enhance the economic prosperity of the people.
” The office would serve as a One-Stop Shop, especially for diaspora indigenes to make the state attractive for investment. It will preserve and uphold the state’s prosperity and economic security. Take proactive rather than retroactive actions, by building information sharing partnership with the grassroots and other security agencies”, he said
Mr Adegoke added, ” Prepare for and protect the state against security threats and other hazards such as natural or man-made disasters, as well as public health emergencies”.
He stressed further, ” it will serve as liaison with Oyo state indigenes, home and Diaspora, to access economic opportunities for the development of the state through tourism and foreign direct investment”.
The retired Assistant Controller of Immigration maintained that office of the Special Adviser, Migration and Homeland Security is an Oyo State executive office established by the governor in 2022 to ensure sustainable development, adequate security and economic growth in the state as contained in the governor’s Omituntun 2.0 agenda.
Maintaining that the effort of Gov Makinde would foster synergy with critical stakeholders toward provision of database for the state, Mr Adegoke said the office would establish Oyo State Advisory Committee on Nigerian Citizenship for security and increase in the internally generated revenue of the state and that such would be achieved through the processing of application and payment for Citizenship by naturalisation, Special Immigration Status (SIS) by foreigners resident in the state.
He said that the office would be able to expand opportunities for indigenes of the state through African Continental Trade Area (AfCTA) which has potential to increase employment opportunities and incomes.
Receiving the Special Adviser to the Governor, Oyo state NUJ Chairman Chief Ademola Babalola lauded the initiative of the governor for creating the office and that the appointment of Adegoke to coordinate the office was a highly commendable.
Chief Babalola while expressing the readiness of Oyo NUJ to be a partner in progress for the newly created office called other critical stakeholders to support the governor in achieving the set goals of the initiative.
