Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has congratulated the new Director-General of the Department of State Service (DSS), Mr. Adeola Ajayi, and his counterpart of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Amb. Mohammed Mohammed, on their appointment.
In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Daniel Alabrah, on Wednesday, Diri described their appointment as fitting and adhering to the principle of sustaining professionalism in such sensitive security institutions in the country.
He said having worked with the new DSS DG when he served as State Director in Bayelsa, he expects that Mr. Ajayi will bring to bear his professionalism in order to reposition the Service for the benefit of all citizens of the country.
He said: “I congratulate Mr. Adeola Ajayi and Amb. Mohammed Mohammed, who is a seasoned foreign service officer that has had a distinguished career spanning over two decades, on their appointment to head the Department of State Service and the National Intelligence Agency respectively.
“While he served as State Director in Bayelsa, Mr. Ajayi showed remarkable professionalism on his job. So his appointment by Mr. President is a fitting elevation and a recognition of professionalism."
Diri commended President Tinubu for appointing core professionals to head the institutions, noting that such right decision instills confidence in the agencies and raises the morale of their personnel.
President Bola Tinubu had on Monday appointed Mohammed and Ajayi to take charge of the strategic security agencies following the resignation of the previous heads, Ahmed Abubakar Rufai of the NIA and Yusuf Bichi of the DSS.
The President had retained Rufai and Bichi in June 2023 when he fired all service chiefs and heads of security agencies.
Rufai resigned from his position as the NIA Director-General on Saturday night, citing family and personal reasons for his resignation.
A seasoned foreign service officer, the new NIA boss, Mohammed, had a distinguished career spanning over two decades, serving in various roles and countries, including North Korea, Pakistan, Sudan, and Libya.
On the other hand, Ajayi, the new DSS chief, who took over from Yusuf Bichi was said to have risen through the ranks, serving as State Director in several states, including Bauchi, Enugu, Bayelsa, Rivers, and Kogi.
