Ajayi: A Dawn of New Era at DSS

Achilleus-Chud Uchegbu

The video, which has gone viral on social media, of workers at the headquarters of the Department of State Security (DSS), jubilating over the change of guards at the leadership of the organisation, aptly captures the words of the Christian Holy Book at Proverbs 29:2, which reads, “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice…” This opens the people to the fact that several teachers make a man, but one man can change the world.

That is the meaning of the celebrations around the ascendency of Mr Adeola Oluwatosin Ajayi, an eagle-eyed security buff and an astute spymaster to the headship of the DSS. It speaks to Ajayi’s dexterity and adroitness at his job, an obsession that had occupied him since joining the service in 1990.

A scion of the clerical family of Reverend and Reverend Mrs. A. Ajayi of Odogbolu in Ogun state, the new sheriff at DSS comes to the job with demonstrated exceptional leadership, professionalism, and dedication to duty, spanning several state commands where he was noted for his zest for excellence. Starting in 2010 as state director in Bauchi state where he effectively managed the security situation and contained the spread of the Boko Haram terrorist group, Ajayi moved on to stamp his imprint on the security master plan of Nigeria with the strict management of the Enugu Command in 2015 where he left indelible marks containing the rise of non-state actors. He was between 2015 and 2016 in Bayelsa state as State Director working to ensure that militancy and violent activism were effectively managed. In all these roles, Ajayi left no one in doubt that the skies are not the limit.

Ajayi’s reward for the effective management of the Bayelsa State Command was a move to Rivers State where, between 2016 and 2019, he worked very hard to achieve high marks and acclaim in stemming the tide of militancy and violent crimes as well as ensuring that the 2019 general election in the state was without security challenges.

Having succeeded in Rivers state, Ajayi’s next duty post was Kogi state where he was instrumental in making the state count among the least terrorised states in Nigeria with the containment of non-state actors while insulating the state from the devastating actions of terrorist groups.

Ajayi, as assistant director-General at the DSS, worked in the office of the President, before his appointment to head the spy agency. He is considered one of the most resourceful spy masters still in the service of the DSS. He has played key roles in several high-profile operations and has been instrumental in shaping the agency’s response to evolving security threats. His deft management of security challenges within and outside Nigeria’s borders, won for him, accolades that now count as positive marks to the value he brings to the job.

A disciplined officer who is never tired of learning, Ajayi ascends office having fully prepared himself for the top job by taking detective courses in security, strategic management and protection in Israel, the United States of America (USA) and the United Kingdom (UK). Through the different certificate courses, Ajayi was exposed to new and modern techniques in security threat detection and management.

He, therefore, brings to the job experiences earned over three decades of consistent participation in the management of security challenges in Nigeria. His appointment by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, considered by most Nigerians, as a round peg in a round hole, comes at a time when the morale of the staff of the DSS is at its lowest. This is demonstrated by comments and expressions by staff of the agency as Ajayi’s predecessor was retired.

In appointing Ajayi to the office, President Tinubu demonstrated his commitment to departing from a practice that had creatively destroyed the growth of the organisation. The practice of recalling retired operatives to head organisations like the DSS, works only to kill morale and destroy commitment to excellence. Such practice had stultified growth and impacted negatively on the willingness of staff to apply themselves to the execution of the core mandate of the agency. Here, President Tinubu got it right and deserves commendation.

However, the tasks ahead for Ajayi need not to be restated. As an ‘insider’, he knows where the balm was wrongly applied. It is now his assignment, as a core professional, to rejuvenate the organisation, rebuild trust and commitment among the personnel and also, bring back the vigour with which staff express themselves through giving their best to their jobs. These should be his lowest-hanging fruits. They should also be the initial steps towards the re-making of the Department of State Security.

His new leadership also comes with the euphoria of the birth of a new baby. It comes with loads of expectations from Nigerians. Many Nigerians have, on social media, expressed the belief that Ajayi will pull DSS away from the practice of presenting itself like a rabble-rouser and adjust itself to a new work ethos that would make it nip security challenges in the bud, or, bust insecurity cells rather than raising alarms. What this means for most Nigerians is that Ajayi is taking over the DSS at a most critical time in Nigeria’s story. For them, his appointment is seen as a bold step towards revitalizing the DSS and enhancing its capacity to tackle emerging security challenges.

Nigerians now look forward to enjoying the proceeds of Ajayi’s experience and professionalism in counter-terrorism, counter-intelligence, and strategic intelligence gathering and analysis. Having played key roles in several high-profile operations, Nigerians also now want to feel his impact in shaping the agency’s response to evolving security threats. They want to see a reformed DSS, one that is operationally efficient with improved intelligence-gathering capabilities and with better and stronger inter-agency collaboration. Nigerians are thirsty for a DSS that is empowered with innovative strategies to tackle emerging security threats.

Nigerians would like to celebrate Adeola Ajayi as Nigeria’s most impactful spy chief. Before they do that, however, Ajayi and his new leadership team ought to know, that escalating threats of terrorism, banditry, and kidnapping have worked together to force Nigerians to live fearfully and tearfully in a country they call their home and one in which they look forward to living freely and peacefully. There is a feeling that Ajayi is primed to change the narrative. The challenge is now his. He has no option but to succeed.

•Uchegbu, s public affairs analysts, writes from Abuja.