Former Governor of Bauchi, Isa Yuguda has described the appointment of Oluwatosin Ajayi as the Director General of Department of State Security Services (DSS) by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the best thing to have happened to the Secret Service.
Oluwatosin Ajayi, who until his appointment, was the Assistant DG of the security agency under the Office of the President, replaced Yusuf Magaji Bichi.
Reacting to the appointment, Isa Yuguda commended the President for identifying professionalism above any other thing in the appointment saying that it was a well-deserved thing.
The former Governor who recollected his association with the new DG while he served in Bauchi state, stated that he is a professional to the core, someone who knows the appropriate time to act on any suspicious information.
Isa Yuguda expressed confidence that Oluwatosin Ajayi will turn the Service around for good by making it more proactive and responsive to issues of internal and external security situation of the country.
In the same vein, a Bauchi-based legal practitioner, Barrister Alkassim Mohammed, has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for appointing Mr. Oluwtosin Ajayi as the new Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS).
The legal practitioner opined that the appointment did not come to him as surprise but rather, his track records have shown that.
According to him, “My encounter with Mr. Ajayi was in 2014 when he served as the State Director of the Department of State Services in Bauchi. His approach captivated the minds of most legal practitioners in Bauchi when it came to security issues.”
He added that, “I could remember, I had a high profile case I was handling in 2014 that touched on national security. The DSS under the leadership of Mr. Ajayi in Bauchi was in search of my client. I wrote the DSS that really if they were the security concerned looking for my client, I was ready to produce my client for an interview.”
“To my surprise, my letter was given serious prominence and I was called to produce my client. I produced my client for an interview and interaction with the State Department and on that very day, he was granted bail having realized his non involvement of whatever reason in the matter,” he added.
He added, “In fact, it took Mr.Ajayi about a minute shaking my hands that he was encouraged to see lawyers taking this kind of approach. So we had gone deep in interacting with him.”
The legal practitioner recalled that Oluwatosin Ajayi was the Director of the DSS in Bauchi during the period Boko Haram was at its peak in the North East. We understood how he had gone deeply in successfully addressing insurgency with his personnel at that time.”
He further said, “He merits the appointment as DG. In fact, President Bola Tinubu has made a wise decision in replacing Bichi with Ajayi and I believe that the new DSS DG will not fail Nigeria.”
According to him, “I would say categorically without fear or favour, that let the purported celebration of the departure of the former DSS DG Bichi not become something of a mere accusation. I therefore urge the new DG to ensure that welfare of personnel is a top priority so that they will be motivated to give results.”
“Let the purported celebration of the departure of Bichi not be used to measure Ajayi’s performance because he is not coming to the office to stay forever. One day he will also leave the office and his legacies, his track record will also be something to reckon with,” he added.
The legal practitioner said, “I will admonish the new DG to be a constitutional, law-abiding citizen to observe the rule of law because I know him to be a promoter of the rule of law in Nigeria when he served in Bauchi.”
“So I congratulate Mr Oluwatosin Ayaji on a well-deserved appointment. As a newly appointed DG DSS, he should know that he is working for Nigerians, not to serve the interest of any leader.
I know the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu is somebody he can work closely with,” he added.
Alkasim Mohammed added, “I know Mr Ribadu as an observer of the rule of law, so I admonish the new DG DSS to work hard and ensure that the security of the nation is covered because the security of the country has become a national issue.”
He concluded saying, “So all eyes will be on him to give his best in curbing the menace of that is bedeviling Nigeria as far as security issues are concern.”
ALSO READ THESE TOP STORIES FROM TheWitness
