We Must Protect Our Borders – Rauf Aregbesola

Posted by: Folamidavid in Politics, News Oct 24, 2019

Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, has come out to say that loyalty of Nigerians to the nation is not something that can be negotiated.

He revealed this today in Benin, at the opening ceremony of the Comptroller General of Immigration annual conference holding in Benin.

The theme of the conference was “Migration Management in a Developing Economy: The role of NIS”.

According to him, it is important for Nigeria’s border to be protected, and because Nigerians share political, ethnic and cultural affiliation with the neighbouring countries does not mean the nation should not safeguard its borders.

His words, “Our loyalty to Nigeria is non negotiable. So, we must protect our borders.”

“We need to be committed to increase revenue generation for the country. NIS is a great economy supporting institution in the country.”

He also commended President Muhammadu Buhari on his decision to close the nation’s borders.

Do you agree?

Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola (born May 25th 1957) is the current Minister of the Federal Ministry of Interior (Nigeria) and the 4th civilian governor of the state of Osun. A native of Ilesa, Osun State, Nigeria, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola as he is popularly called is married to Mrs. Sherifat Aregbesola. Born into a family of both Muslims and Christians, Aregbesola, a Muslim of deep faith, was completely immersed in the art of religious tolerance, which he will later exhibit so publicly, in his tenure as governor of the State of Osun. Aregbesola had his primary and secondary education in Ondo State. He later attended The Polytechnic, Ibadan, where he studied Mechanical Engineering and graduated in 1980.

Aregbesola’s interest and involvement in politics dates back to his undergraduate days when he was Speaker of the Students’ Parliament (1977 – 1978), The Polytechnic, Ibadan, and the President of the Black Nationalist Movement (1978- 1980). He was also an active supporter of other progressive students’ movements nationwide, which earned him, for instance, the life membership of National Association of Technological Students. In June 1990, he became an elected delegate to the Social Democratic Party (Nigeria) Inaugural Local Government Area Congress. In July of the same year, he was also a delegate to its first National Convention in Abuja. Rauf Aregbesola, as a pro-democracy and human rights activist, was a major participant in the demilitarization and pro-democracy struggles of the 1990s in Nigeria.

In his first term as governor of the state, Argebesola outlined his bold vision for the state as captured in his six point integral action: Banish Poverty, Banish hunger, Banish unemployment, Restore healthy living, Promote functional education and Enhance communal peace and progress. Aregbesola actively pursued all action points of this plan in his first four years in office and by so doing, introduced many initiatives into governance ranging from the creation of 20,000 jobs for youths in his first 100 days which he achieved through the O-YES (Osun Youth Empowerment Scheme).

In 2014, the re-election of Aregbesola turned out to be a lot more challenging than expected. It turned out to be an election where the then PDP-led Federal Government was seeking to win for the party to secure a stronger base in the South-West for the general elections to be held in 2015 National forces were therefore deployed in a plot to intimidate voters and reduce votes, but against all odds, and despite several arrests of his key associates, Aregbesola emerged winner against PDP’s candidate, Senator Iyiola Omisore.