Loosing Security Aides.

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has decided to withdraw all police orderlies and security aides to those whom the police authorities initially gave the privileges. However some groups will still retain their police orderlies. Those to still enjoy their police coverage includes; the President, the Vice President, Chief Justice of the Federation, State Governors, Deputy Governors, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, President of the Court of Appeal, Head of Service of the Federation and ministers, President of the Senate, Deputy President of the Senate, Speaker, House of Representatives, Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Speakers of State Houses of Assembly and Deputy Speakers of State Houses of Assembly.

The following category of Nigerians will loose their Police orderlies according to the Federal Executive Council. They are special advisers, special assistants and other principal staff of the President and Vice President, Secretaries to State Governments, State Heads of Service, Commissioners and Principal Staff of State Governors and their political appointees, Federal High Court, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and State High Courts, Khadis of Sharia Court of Appeal, Judges of Customary Court of Appeal, magistrates, heads of parastatals and extra-ministerial departments, chairmen and members of the Federal and State executive bodies (commissions and agencies.) Chief Judge and Grand Khadi of the States, President of the Customary Court of Appeal, Chairmen of Local Government Area Councils, Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission.

I support the Federal Executive Council’s idea to withdraw police orderlies from those that do not deserve them. The Federal Executive Council did not tell Nigerians the reason(s) behind this decision, but my guess is that they might want more police people in the barracks due to insecurity in the country. However they might have other reasons for doing this. The Federal Executive Council should also reduce the number of police details attached to those who retained their police coverage. A look at the entourage of some governors, their deputies, ministers etc shows intimidating number of police personnel. I think they have more police protection than they need. Withdrawing some police officers from this group will help make more police personnel available. Be that as it may, the government is simply using the Nigerian tax payers money to provide security to very few, some of whom are corrupt. We are paying to protect those who loot our resources. This is the irony of the Nigerian situation.

Nelson Mandela said that security for few is insecurity for all. The entire country is not secured. Crime rates are too high. All sorts of crime are on the increase. Kidnappings are every day occurrences, robbery, murder, assassinations are too often. Nigerians live in fear. Just recently gunmen attacked the convoy of Delta State Police Commissioner along Benin-Warri road killing about six of his aides.

The primary purpose of every government all over the world is to provide welfare and security to its citizens. To this extent the Nigerian leadership (past and present) has failed Nigerians. Parts of the reasons for the high crime rate are poverty, deprivation, unemployment etc. Remember that an idle mind is a devils workshop. The Nigerian government should be blamed for falling to create jobs and also for falling to create an enabling environment for the private sector to create jobs. An example is the failure of the power project. The House of Representative’s probe of the power sector revealed a lot to Nigerians.

To tackle the insecurity problem in Nigeria requires honesty, determination and transparency on the part of federal government. Government needs to stop corruption in high places. They also need to sincerely partner with the private sector to create jobs and the enabling environment. Till the government does this, the crime rates will soar higher. May God bless Nigeria.

Chinedu Vincent Akuta
An activist and leader of “Support Option A4 Group” Leicester-UK
akutachinedu@yahoo.com
http://briefsfromakuta.blogspot.com/