INSPECTOR GERNERAL OF POLICE ONOVO WITHDRAWS POLICE AIDES

From Naijaloft A former President, Chief Olusegun Oba-sanjo, Peoples Democratic Party National Chairman, Prince Vincent Ogbulafor, First Lady Hajiya Turia Yar’Adua, wives of governors, some members of the National Assembly and other personalities are to lose their police orderlies.

Inspector-General of Police Mr. Ogbonna Onovo, stated this yesterday he gave a seven day ultimatum to the aides to return back to their police duty posts or be dismissed.

Onovo explained that such security privileges were not approved by the Federal Executive Council(FEC).

Speaking in Abuja during his maiden press conference as Inspector General of Police, Onovo said the Federal Executive Council FEC, had in March released the list of political and public office holders entitled to police aides. He said the list would be strictly adhered to.

According to Onovo, the 22 political and public offices holders covered in the list are: “President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Chief Justice of Nigeria, State Governors, Deputy Governors, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, (SGF), Head of Service of the Federation (HOSF), Ministers of the Government of the Federation, President of the court of Appeal and Justices of the Supreme Court”.

Others include “Judges of the Court of Appeal, Chief Judge and Grand Khadi of a state, President, Customary Court of Appeal, Chairman of a Local Government Area Council, Vice Chairman of a Local Government Area Council, Chairman Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC)”.

National and state assemblies office holders entitled to police aides as listed are “President of the Senate, Deputy President of the Senate, Speaker, House of Representatives, Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Speaker Houses of Assembly and Deputy Speaker, State Houses House of Assembly.

The offices of former Presidents, Vice -Presidents, Governors, deputy governors, wives of serving President, vice presidents, governors, local government chairmen and their deputies as well as the chairman of EFCC, were missing on the list.

The IG said that anyone not covered on the list should make private arrangements for their own security as the police would henceforth do their constitutional duty of providing security to all Nigerians instead of a few people.

He gave a seven-day ultimatum to those having police aides illegally, to send them back to their various commands.

Reiterating his resolve to carry out the policy to the letter, he said: “In line with this provision, all persons not listed above are hereby given seven days to release the Police personnel attached to them, and to make alternative arrangements”.

“Such Police personnel are also given seven from today to report back to their commanders in readiness for training. Heads of Commands and Formations whose personnel are involved are hereby warned to compile and forward the list of their returning personnel latest 13th August, 2009. By this date, any policeman or woman who continues in such duty will be dismissed forthwith and delisted

“We had under the past administration made efforts to withdraw policemen from those who were not eligible. In our analysis, we found out that over 100,000 policemen were attached to individuals either as escorts, security or whatever. Some of these were legal because they were with those legible to have them but most of them were illegal that is why you saw policemen carrying handbags at airport, policemen escorting nonentities, policemen opening doors and windows in private rooms and so on and so forth thus undering the integrity and respect that this uniform offers.

“We will not allow that anymore. We need policemen to go out there in the street and control crime, we need them to go out there and fight crime so that we can provide security for the citizenry not private security for some people who are not entitled. Therefore, I am using this opportunity to give a final warning to all those who are not legible to have policemen attached to them because we are withdrawing these policemen within the next seven days so that we can take them back to various police training colleges to commence training immediately, we are given them seven days to make alternative arrangements.”

Onovo disclosed that the job of a policeman has been brought into odium by roles given to them to play by those who make use of them as aides who in most cases give them handbags to carry for them while men give them their briefcases to carry like domestic staff.