25 million National ID cards produced, distributed to others -- Minister
From ATIKU S. SARKI, Abuja

THE minister of internal affairs, Ambassador Olusegun Adeniji has said that over 25 million National ID cards for registered Nigerians in the Federal Capital Territory and other 19 states have been produced and distributed to the owners.
According to him, these 19 states comprise of Bayelsa, Yobe, Ogun, Benue, Adamawa, Lagos, Ebonyi, Edo, Kwara, Delta, Sokoto, Ondo, Kebbi, Kano, Katsina, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Plateau and Bauchi states.
The minister of internal affairs who disclosed this at 2006 in his ministerial press briefing last week also said the National ID cards for those who registered in Abia, Anambra, Borno, Ekiti, Enugu, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna. Kogi, Nassarawa, Osun, Oyo and Zamfara states have been produced but are yet to be distributed to the owners.
He explained that the distribution of the National ID cards for Nigerians who registered under the programmes is still on-going and it is hoped that before the present administration hands over the mantle of leadership in May, 2007, his ministry would have completed the distribution in the remaining states of the federation.
He also said that the National ID cards registration is still going on at the Department of National Civic Registration (DNCR) headquarters Abuja and other DNCR officials in all the 36 states, FCT and the 774 local government areas of the federation.
The minister further pointed out that his ministry has completed arrangements to purchase sports equipment worth about N4 million which would be distributed to staff.
He said that his ministry has been participating actively in the monthly jogging exercise organized by the OACSF and also participated in the 2006 federation of public service Games at Port Harcourt Rivers state and won Gold medal in the football competition.
Ambassador Adeniji revealed that a total of 35 officers who voluntarily retired from the service and their retirement benefits of about N35 million are being processed by the officers of the head of service.
Furthermore, he added 3,306 members of staff who were right sized by the Bureau of Public Service reform (BOSR) in line with the federal government policy which he said the payment of their benefits along with training is in progress at the Bureau.
The minister who also observed that due to non release of funds, the ministry did not train any officer in the first quarter of 2006 but from second quarter to date, maintained that his ministry has trained 100 junior staff at a cost of N1,621,000.00 and 65 senior staff at a cost of N4,214,750.00
He, however, pointed out that during the review period, sum earmarked for the ministry’s personnel and overhead cost were released to the tune of N1.8 billion and N1.1 billion respectively.
Also in the ministry’s effort at completing 47 new prisons he said 19 have been completed, 18 out at various stages of completion while 10 are yet to start, saying that the two new prisons are at present being constructed to relocate the old dilapidated and congested prisons at Okene and Abeokuta prisons.
On the Nigeria Immigration Service the minister disclosed that approval was obtained to recruit ten thousand officers and men of Superintendent, Inspectorate and Assistant Cadres within the period of two years with effect from this year and the recruitment exercise for the first five thousand staff is almost completed.
While commending the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps under the good leadership of Commandant General of the Corps, Dr. Ade Abolarin, the minister expressed that over 500 persons have been arrested for vandalisation of petroleum pipelines and others.