- First DDG, as Office has been in Abeyance
By Kolawole Ojebisi
As part of efforts to revise the structure of the Department of State Services for better efficiency, President Bola Tinubu has appointed Folashade Adekaiyaoja as the Deputy Director General of the agency.
Adekaiyaoja’s appointment is historic in the life of the agency as this is the first time the position of DDG will be occupied having been in abeyance until now.
However, it was learnt that the creation of the office is line with the original organogram of the Service
It was that according to its original organogram, the DSS is structured to comprise three Deputy Directors General in its hierarchy.
The appointment and ratification by the President was based on the recommendation of the DG, through the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu and according to The Nation report on Tuesday.
“It is in line with its extant regulations and unprecedented in the history of the Secret Service,” an officer in the agency was quoted to have said.
The appointment of Adekaiyaoja, a native of Kogi state was celebrated by a cross-section of officers and operatives who see her as eminently qualified for the position, it was learnt.
It was further gathered that President Tinubu had, in line with his promise to improve the security of life and property of Nigerians, tasked the heads of security agencies to come up with proposals on how to improve their service delivery.
“It was on this note that the President approved the DG’s recommendation, which many serving and retired officers are confident would boost career progression in the Service,” the agency’s officer added.
Tinubu had at the investiture ceremony of the National Institute for Security Studies Executive Intelligence Management Course 17 graduates last December, promised to support the DSS and other security agencies with Artificial Intelligence- powered state-of-the-art equipment to combat insecurity across the country.
Speaking through the NSA, the president stated that he was not oblivious of the security challenges in contemporary times, and charged all security agencies to synergize for the common good of Nigerians.
The DSS Director-General, Mr. Oluwastosin Ajayi, had on assumption of office in late August 2024, promised sweeping reforms in the Organization, which he assured would transform the DSS into one of the most efficient covert Security Agencies in the world.
