Women’s Group Applauds Appointment Of First Female Deputy DG Of DSS

Nigeria women have commended President Bola Tinubu for approving the recommendation of the director general of the Department of State Service (DSS) Mr. Oluwatosin Adeola Ajayi, to appoint Ms. Folashade Adekaiyaoja as the first deputy director general of the service.

It would be recalled that President Tinubu had in January approved Ms. Adekaiyaoja’s appointment as deputy director general.

Her appointment, which is the first of its kind, seeks to revise the agency’s structure for better efficiency.

The commendation was conveyed by women in diverse civil society organisations including the National Council of Women Societies (NCWS), Federation of Muslim Women Association in

Nigeria (FOMWAN), Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ) and Association of Women in Trade and Agriculture (AWITA) who visited the DSS director general in his office in Abuja.

Led by the minister of women affairs, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, the women described Adekaiyaoja’s appointment as a sign that the president has the interest of Nigerian women at heart.

Sulaiman-Ibrahim said Nigerian women appreciate the DG for prioritising staff welfare and removing operational barriers between men and women, as shown by his recommendation of Adekaiyaoja.

The minister, who was also accompanied by the director general, National Centre for Women Development (NCWD), Dr. Asabe Vilita and other top management officers in the ministry, said Adekaiyaoja’s appointment was proof that the DG was in sync with President Tinubu’s policy of gender balance in appointments.

Responding, the director general said the love his mother showered on him made him appreciate women, stressing that this made him detest violence against women.

“Everywhere I have served, I always warn against abusing women. Leadership is infectious. Hence, staff who work with me are likely to respect women and reports of women being abused have been addressed,” he said.

On assumption of office in late August 2024, he had promised sweeping reforms to transform the service into one of the most efficient covert security agencies in the world.