• Yuletide season: DSS cancels leaves, courses for personnel
DETERMINED to ensure a security hitch free yuletide season nationwide, the Department of State Service (DSS) has cancelled all form of leaves, vacations and courses for all its personnel till further notice
A top official of the nation’s secret Police who revealed this to Tribune Online in Abuja yesterday said that an official circular to this effect had been dispatched to all its formation in the 36 states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja for an immediate compliance
According to the source, “with this directive, all the personnel of the Department are to remain at their duty posts before the Christmas, during and running to the New Year and till after the new year on 24 hours basis.
“There will be no exception this time around, apart from placing total embargo on all sort of leaves and courses,all those already on leaves as well as those on courses have been recalled with immediate effect
“All state directors and heads of formations have been duly advised to ensure strict compliance with the new directive and will be held responsible for any breach of security or any incident in their area of jurisdictions.
“The Department under the watchful eye of Mallam Lawan Daura is not taking the issue of adequate security of lives and properties in all the nooks and crannies of the country lightly as he is personally leading this crusade for a security hitch free yuletide and any form of exemption of any personnel from duty during this period must have to come directly from the Headquarters in Abuja here,” the source declared.
The source further hinted that to ensure a successful operation during the period, “all form of outstanding allowances are being settled gradually starting from those attached to the Presidential Villa in other to boost their morale, for a successful Yuletide.”
According to him, “the operational plan for this season will include, but not limited to patrolling of major volatile states and already marked out black spots to keep potential criminals at bay while operatives will also deployed to places of worships, hotels, recreational centres and other public places.
“We are being guided by previous experiences and the prevailing insurgents activities in some part of the country, we don’t want to be caught napping, so, we are preparing for any eventuality 24 hours round the clock,” he stated.
Independent investigation however showed that while those operatives attached to the Presidential Villa have been fully paid their outstanding allowances, those attached to the National Assembly “are still expecting to be paid.”