Senator Abdul Ningi, who represents Bauchi Central, has criticised the withdrawal of his police orderly, saying the enforcement of President Bola Tinubu’s directive on VIP security is being carried out unevenly.
Okay News reports that Ningi raised the concern during Wednesday’s plenary session, arguing that while lawmakers were stripped of their orderlies, several public officials and private individuals still move with full police escorts.
The senator said he found it troubling that his only police orderly was removed even though he has served in the National Assembly for many years.
He added that the withdrawal should reflect the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act 2008 and should extend to all categories of office holders.
“Let’s see what happens from the office of the president, to the vice president, to the senate president, to the speaker of the house, to the ministers,” he said, noting that his experience does not match what he sees across the executive branch.
Ningi said he had observed ministers, business executives and even children of politicians move with large security teams.
“I saw two ministers and they were carrying lots of security personnel. I have also seen business people, Chinese and other business concerns, yesterday, with their compliments of orderlies. I have also seen daughters and sons of political office holders having orderlies and having security covers. I have seen singers having orderlies and complimentary of protection.”
“I cannot ever imagine that a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, who has been here for a very long time, only one orderly, and he’s withdrawn, and nothing will happen.”
Ningi urged Senate President Godswill Akpabio to direct the police affairs committee to examine why the enforcement appears to target lawmakers.
“You cannot just put national assembly as a scapegoat and others enjoy the privileges of security control,” he added.
Presiding over the session, Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin said senate leadership had already discussed the matter during a meeting on Tuesday and that formal steps were underway.
“We expect the outcome of that action to be available to us today in respect of the police orderlies that were withdrawn from the senate. It is of concern to us. We are dealing with that in the formal line,” he said.
Barau also questioned why Tinubu’s directive was not being applied uniformly.
“The directive of Mr. President has been flouted. It was made in good faith to strengthen our police force to deal with our internal security issues.”
He assured Ningi that efforts were being made to restore his security detail.
“The leadership agreed that the course of action should be undertaken in order to restore your police orderly to you. I’m sure we have a listening president. We all stand by Mr. President in his effort to deal with the security problem in our country. The matter has been addressed.”
