Tunji-Ojo gave the charge in Abuja on Saturday at the end of the 2026 Sectoral Performance Review Retreat of the Federal Ministry of Interior, where he commended their performance but warned against complacency.
The minister said that despite the political climate, the agencies must remain focused on their mandates, noting that Nigerians still expect effective service delivery.
“I beg you, this is 2026. Yes, you are professionals. This is an election year. Please don’t be distracted. Nigerians must get the service they need to get.
“I beg you. We must never take our eyes off the ball, this 2026”, he said.
Tunji-Ojo stressed that the Ministry of Interior deals directly with Nigerians on a daily basis, adding that the agencies cannot afford to “live in the euphoria of yesterday’s achievements.”
He said the ministry operates on the principle of collective responsibility and peer review, insisting that its officials must support one another to achieve results.
“Our mantra in the Ministry of Interior is one for all, all for one. We are here to protect one another and ensure that we deliver. This is not a game of buck-passing. We don’t buck-pass in the Ministry of Interior,” he said.
The minister also charged the Nigeria Immigration Service to strengthen border control and intensify efforts to curb irregular migration.
According to him, the service must equip its officers with the tools needed to secure the country’s borders and work closely with border communities and state governments.
“We must equip our officers and give them the required instruments to protect every inch of our border space. We must get every irregular immigrant in Nigeria out of this country. We must clean the space and ensure that Nigerians are protected,” he said.
Tunji-Ojo equally tasked the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps with strengthening the protection of critical national assets across the country.
He said the corps must develop systems that would enable it to monitor key infrastructure and respond swiftly to threats, particularly acts of economic sabotage.
The minister also called on the Federal Fire Service to improve emergency response and rescue operations nationwide.
“This is not a time of negligence. Emergency and rescue services must be brought to the front burner so that Nigerians know that when they are in distress, help will be on the way,” he said.
Tunji-Ojo further urged the Nigerian Correctional Service to intensify rehabilitation programmes in correctional facilities to reduce the rate of reoffending among inmates.
He maintained that correctional centres must focus on transforming inmates into responsible citizens rather than allowing them to return to society worse than they were before incarceration.
“For every person that goes into the correctional centre and comes back worse, it is an indictment on us. When people go to correctional centres, they must be rehabilitated and become better individuals,” he said.
The minister also commended the heads and personnel of agencies under the ministry for what he described as their dedication and professionalism.
He noted that their efforts had contributed to improvements in areas such as immigration processes, border management, emergency response and correctional administration.
Tunji-Ojo, however, urged them to remain committed to delivering results and justifying the confidence reposed in them by the President and Nigerians.
The minister’s remarks come amid heightened political activities across the country as political parties begin preparations for the next general elections.
Although the general elections are scheduled for 2027, the year 2026 is expected to witness intense political manoeuvring, consultations and internal party alignments as parties prepare for their primaries to select candidates.
Across the political landscape, major parties, including the All Progressives Congress, Peoples Democratic Party and Labour Party, have begun early consultations and mobilisation of supporters ahead of the nomination processes.