Alkassim Hails Ajayi’s Appointment as DG DSS

From Paul Orude Bauchi

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).

Ajayi, who until his appointment, was the Assistant DG of the security agency under the Office of the President, replaced Yusuf Magaji Bichi.

The legal practitioner opined that the appointment did not come to him as a surprise but rather his track record has shown that.

“My encounter with Mr. Ajayi was in 2014 when he served as the State Director of the Department of State Service in Bauchi,” Barrister Alkassim told Daily Sun in Bauchi, on Tuesday.

“His approach captivated the minds of most legal practitioners in Bauchi when it came to security issues.

“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 were 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 involvement of whatever reason in the matter.

“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 Mr Ajayi was the Director of the DSS in Bauchi during Boko Haram was at its peak in the northeast.

“We understood how he had gone deeply in successfully addressing insurgency with his personnel at that time,” the legal practitioner said.

“He merits the appointment as DG.

“In fact President Tinubu has made a wise decision in replacing Bichi with Ajayi and I believe that the new DSS DG will not fail Nigeria.

“I would say categorically without fear or farvour 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.

“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 will he can work closely with.

“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.

“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”