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.
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.