By Chioma Onuegbu, Uyo
The Apex socio-cultural organisation of the Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF, has backed the directive of the Inspector-General of Police, Ag Usman Akali Baba on the suspension of police personnel from escorting VIPs, in the South-East, and some South-South states.
The National Chairman of PANDEF, Senator Emmanuel Ebok-Essien who spoke yesterday in Uyo explained that it was wrong in the first place for representatives of the people to be going with police escorts.
His words, “In the first place I never subscribe for the police escorting VIPs or anybody. I never supported the idea. And it is not right. If you are representing the people, and you are acceptable by the people, you should be free with the people.
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“You don’t need to carry people with arms to protect you. Sometimes, you observe that somebody doesn’t move with an escort before, but once you are elected or appointed, suddenly you start going with the Police. Why must we go with the police?
“For me, a representative of the people should not be scared of the people he or she is representing. Representatives of the people should be free with the people that they are representing”
The PANDEF Chair advocated for the amendment of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, to allow states to operate State and Local government police.
He expressed the optimism that State police would resolve the worsening security situation in the country, pointing out that developed countries of the world have gone beyond federal police.
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“Everywhere all over the world, there are federal, state, and even local government police. Policing now is a local thing. Developed climes even have metropolitan Police. State and local government police will help in solving security challenges in the country because everybody is from a locality.
“For instance in a village where everybody knows each other, if a policeman is from a particular village and he is protecting the village he will have first-hand information about all the criminals.
” But if you bring somebody say from Sokoto to come and look for a criminal in my village, even the people of the village will be scared to cooperate with him”, Ibokessien noted.
It could be recalled that the IGP had on Wednesday ordered Commissioners of Police in the affected States to suspend any personnel that escorts VIPs pending when the incessant attacks on Policemen would be over.
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