The internal cleansing by DSS

THE Department of State Services (DSS) must have stunned many Nigerians when it recently dismissed 115 of its personnel, citing ongoing internal reforms aimed at maintaining discipline and integrity within the agency. The agency, which made this development known in a statement on its official X account, indicated that the action followed a review process which identified the affected individuals, whose names were published on its official website. The DSS also warned members of the public against engaging in any form of transaction or communication with the dismissed personnel, noting that some of them continue to impersonate DSS officials. This was even as it reiterated its commitment to professionalism and urged citizens to report suspicious activities through its official helpline or email.

 The statement read: “As part of the ongoing reforms in the Department of State Services (DSS), the public is hereby informed that a total of 115 personnel have been dismissed over a period. In addition to earlier disclaimers on the duo of Barry Donald and Victor Onyedikachi Godwin, the Service finds it necessary to warn citizens of the fraudulent activities of some of these persons still posing as DSS personnel. Members of the public are therefore advised to desist from any official dealing with these individuals who have been dismissed by the Service. For clarity, the identities of the affected persons have been published on the website of the Service.”

Subsequent media reports suggested that the officers were found guilty of involvement in fraudulent practices, acts of indiscipline, certificate forgery, and leakage of classified information. Part of the reasons the recent development took the country by storm was the fact that previously, the agency, apparently in line with the nature of its operations, handled disciplinary actions against erring officers without any public disclosures. Besides, the latest development, coming on the heels of the arrest of two of its ex-staffers for alleged impersonation and fraud, is massive in scale, and suggests a radical purge in the agency.

As Nigeria’s secret police, the DSS is saddled with the prevention and detection of any crime against the internal security of Nigeria; protection and preservation of all non-military classified matters concerning the internal security of Nigeria; prevention, detection and investigation of threats of espionage, subversion, sabotage, terrorism, separatist agitations, inter-group conflicts, economic crimes of national security dimension and threats to law and order; provision of protective security for designated principal government functionaries, sensitive installations and visiting dignitaries; provision of timely advice to government on all matters of national security interest, and  such other functions as may, from time to time, be assigned to it. Its expressed core values are integrity, service and excellence. Against this backdrop, then, it is remarkable that as many as 115 of its personnel engaged in egregious acts that trampled on the letters and spirit of the service codes. That is most unfortunate.

If as many as 115 officers and (wo)men of the agency had grave disciplinary issues over a period, it shows that a lot of things are wrong with the current set-up of the agency. That is the inevitable conclusion. In this regard, it is a salutary development that the leadership of the agency is concerned enough about its state of affairs to wield the big stick. The DSS, like the other security agencies, but perhaps even more so, handles a delicate portfolio, and should never tolerate acts that can expose it and its law-abiding personnel to danger of any kind, and imperil national security. That being the case, we have no problem with the sack of the affected personnel. Rules and regulations are meant to guide professional conduct, and if they have been flouted, then appropriate sanctions must be meted out to the offenders. It is a no-brainer that discipline is a core feature of life in any organisation, and that without it, progress will be a mirage. For an agency like the DSS which has a mandate to ensure the internal security of Nigeria and its governance architecture, there should be no tolerance of acts of indiscipline. It is scary to even think of the fact that the dismissed personnel allegedly flouted rules and regulations with impunity, treating their oath of office with disdain. We hope that serving personnel of the agency will take caution and approach their duties with utmost patriotism and professionalism. The grave security situation across the country demands no less.

We urge the leadership of the DSS to ensure that there is no vacuum in the agency’s operations. It should replace the dismissed personnel with people who know what is expected of them as DSS personnel. Going forward, the agency should also ensure greater background checks on its recruits, so that only those who are ready to adhere to their oath of office end up getting employed. We also urge the Presidency to continue equipping the agency with all the tools it needs to deliver on its mandate and make Nigerians proud of it. That is the way to go.