Bichi’s Infrastructural Efforts in the Service
By Mukhtar Ya’u Madobi
Recently I had the opportunity to lay my hands on the Verity Magazine, a popular and widely circulated publication among the nation’s intelligent security agencies. The content of the Special Edition was a compendium of tremendous achievements recorded by the incumbent Director- General, Department of State Security Service (DSS), Yusuf Magaji Bichi in the last one year.
It is quite unbelievable if not for the fact that pictures of the projects were published in the journal.
The projects aimed at improving staff welfare and enhancing the efficiency of Nigeria’s security architecture are quite numerous.
Since his appointment as the head of domestic intelligence service, Bichi is more professional and less controversial as he engenders inter-agency collaboration and liaison with sister security agencies. He also sustained strengthening relationship with strategic partners, media, NGOs and other critical stakeholders.
In the last one year, the DSS has witnessed extensive renovation of dilapidated structures and construction as well as acquisitions of new structures for the benefits of staff and efficiency in their operations. He ensured landscaping and beautification of the National Headquarter in Abuja.
He also creation new departments and expansion of portfolios to accommodate officers in addition to replacement of operational vehicles for all the agency’s Directors and their Deputies and equipping as well as renovating offices with modern furniture. The formation of the Special Intervention Squad (SIS) and tactical teams were other accomplishments towards responding to emergencies.
With the modernisation in human resources management, Bichi introduced biometric documentation systems and sophisticated IT facilities for various administrative and operational purposes. To deepen knowledge and enhance analytical capabilities of staff and massive conversion and upgrading of qualified personnel, he initiated the formation of DSS Readers’ Club. In a deliberate effort to broaden the scope of knowledge of staffs and other stakeholders, capacity building programmes were given maximum priority.
In fact, many staff were sponsored to attend local and international training programs in enhancing their capacity to surmount emerging threats.
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Bichi also secured interventions of strategic stakeholders in providing facilities for the service. For instance, Nigeria national Petroleum Corporation is building a state of the art health facilities at the Service’s Medical Center, VGC. Lubrik Construction Company (LCC) is also constructing the DSS Museum of National Security as part of its corporate social responsibility.
The agency has also carried out various operations to stem violence and armed conflicts across the country. In the Middle Belt, the tackles farmers/herders clashes and cattle rustling. While in Northwest, it curtailed the menace of kidnapping and banditry. The agency was also very active in the southern part of the country in cracking down the activities of separatists’ movements and militancy.
Considering these achievements, it is no more surprising when the erstwhile Director-General of the agency. Mr. A.A. Gadzama unequivocally stated that “wherever you have difficulty and security challenges, post Bichi there. He has continually exhibited this in the way he handles matters”.
A graduate of Political Science from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria and the National Defence College, Abuja, Bichi is a highly trained and well-respected intelligence officer who is known in the intelligence circle as an upright man and a core Secret Service operative.
He has undergone training in intelligence processing analysis, agent handling recruitment and intelligence processing in the UK, as well as strategic training at the National Defence College.
The DG who began his career with the security division of the Cabinet Office in Kano, joined the defunct Nigerian Security Organization (NSO), the precursor of the present DSS and served in various states and directorates of the service. he rose through the ranks and served as State Director of Security in Jigawa State (1998 – 1999), Niger State (2000 – 2003), Sokoto State (2003 – 2005), and Abia State (2005 – 2006).
He subsequently served as Director in the National Assembly Liaison (2006), Directorate of Security Enforcement (2007 – 2008), Directorate of Operations (2008 – 2009), Directorate of Intelligence (2009 – 2010), State Service Academy, Lagos (2010 – 2013), SSS Research Development Centre, Bauchi (2013 – 2014), Directorate of Inspection (2014 – 2015), Directorate of Administration and Finance (2015 – 2017) and Director-General, Department of State Services (2018 – present).
Ya’u Mukhtar is a Staff writer with PRNigeria. He wrote from Wuye, Abuja.
