A House of Representatives member from Akwa Ibom State, Clement Jimbo, has faulted the directive by President Bola Tinubu ordering the withdrawal of police personnel from VIPs in Nigeria.
Speaking when he appeared as a guest on Channels TV’s The Morning Brief on Thursday, Mr Jimbo said Mr Tinubu’s decision poses a security risk to Nigerian lawmakers and other politicians.
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“So, withdrawing this security personnel from many of our colleagues: Senators, House of Representatives (members) from the North, you are further exposing them to insecurity, and their lives could be in danger,” he said.
The lawmaker, a member of the APC, represents Abak/Etim Ekpo/Ika Federal Constituency.
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Mr Jimbo insisted that the major responsibility of the government centres on the welfare and security of all Nigerians, citing Sections 12 and 14 of the 1999 Constitution as amended.
“So if the federal government is failing in this very constitutional provision and anything happens to a lawmaker as a result of this very directive of Mr President, of course, Mr President should be held accountable because there is no need (for the directive),” he said.
What should be done
Mr Jimbo asked Mr Tinubu to reverse the directive immediately and instead formalise the arrangement to generate income for the country.
“If that is not expeditiously done, something untoward can happen to some of us who are members of the parliament,” he said.
The lawmaker said that the president should consider recruiting at least 15,000 youths into the Nigeria Police Force or set up a private security unit and designate them for the protection of VIPs and other Nigerians interested in personal protection.
“It is important to stress that those of us that have this security personnel around us are not free. We pay for it.
“The president should equally look into this direction of using this opportunity to generate additional revenue to Nigeria and for Nigerians,” he said.
“So Nigeria should equally be generating a whole lot of money in the region of a minimum of N20 trillion annually.”
‘Every Nigerian is a VIP’
Mr Jimbo also faulted the categorisation of members of the political class as VIPs, insisting that security protection should not be only for particular people.
“Every single Nigerian is a VIP and having the privilege to have security personnel maybe protect you or escort you to events or even protect your properties or houses should not be the exclusive right of those that are in government.
“It should be the right of every citizen who desires to have this personnel protect them or to walk around with them,” he said.
Police withdrawal directive
On 23 November, President Tinubu ordered the immediate withdrawal of police officers assigned to VIPs across the country. The Special Protection Unit of the Nigeria Police Force has since begun implementing the directive.
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The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, said the directive followed an audit revealing that 11,566 officers are currently assigned to VIP protection duties.
Mr Egbetokun advised those who still require protection to approach the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.
The Senate on Wednesday appealed to Mr Tinubu to exempt its members from the presidential directive.
But Mr Tinubu, shortly after the Senate’s appeal, said the directive to redeploy police officers working with VIPs, VVIPs and ministers was not negotiable.
The president directed the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, Minister of Police Affairs, Ibrahim Gaidam, and the IGP to follow up on the implementation of the order.
He insisted that police officers were trained to protect the lives and property of citizens, particularly the most vulnerable in society, and the protection of a select group of VIPs and VVIPs was not their responsibility.
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