By Citizenship News
The Senate at its plenary on Wednesday was informed that President Tinubu may reconsider the withdrawal of police orderlies for Senators.
The Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin gave the indication while commenting on a protest by Senator Abdul Ningi (Bauchi Central over the withdrawal of police orderly attached members in line with the presidential directive.
Barau Jibrin who presided at Wednesday’s plenary thanked Senator Ningi and disclosed that the leadership of the Senate had already taken up the matter.
He assured the lawmakers that President Bola Tinubu, being a listening president, would exempt the lawmakers.
“It’s of concern to us and I would raise the issue and we’re dealing with that in the formal line. So, everything will be done. We’re on top of the situation”.
Barau insisted that the President gave that order in order to “strengthen the police force to deal with our internal security problems. It was done in good faith”.
Senator Abdul Ningi, using Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act 2017, which confers some privileges on legislators, said earlier that he just woke up today to be told that his police orderly had been withdrawn.
Senator Ningi who has been in the National Assembly since 1999 said he had only one police orderly and has never requested any additional security personnel.
He said he was shocked to be informed that his police orderly and those of other police orderlies were withdrawn.
According to him, “My problem is that this thing should go across the board.
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”.
“Mr. President, as I was coming, I saw two convoys of ministers carrying lots of security personnel. I have also seen business concerns, Chinese and other business concerns yesterday with the compliments of orderlies.
“Mr. President, I have also seen daughters and sons of political officeholders having orderlies and security covers. I have seen singers having orderlies and complimentary protection. I cannot ever imagine that a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, who has been here for a very long time, with only one orderly, and he is withdrawn, and nothing happens”.
Ningi who said he could take care of himself, however said “but let me not see governors, ministers, and business concerns being covered by security establishment, by compliments of security. This is unheard of in any democracy, and that’s why I said this is a matter that harms me, it concerns me. It is not right, and it should be taken with all seriousness as it deserves”.
He craved the indulgence of the President of the Senate to ask the Chairman, Committee on Police, to please investigate why other people still have security covers from the day the Presidency and the Inspector General of Police made this announcement, adding: “You cannot just put National Assembly as a scapegoat and others enjoy the privileges of security cover”.
