Mr. Okiro said the monitoring team will have the powers to stop VIPs on the highways and other public other places for confirmation of their status and that of the policemen attached to them. Any erring VIP, or any policeman caught in an unauthorized beat, will be prosecuted.
A high-level monitoring team is to be deployed to the nation’s airports, highways and other public places to enforce the presidential directive of immediate withdrawal of policemen from Very Important Personalities who are not entitled to their services.
The chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC), Mike Okiro, a retired Inspector General of Police, confirmed this in Abuja on Tuesday, adding that the commission and the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase, have concluded arrangements to that effect.
Mr. Okiro said the monitoring team will have the powers to stop VIPs on the highways and other public other places for confirmation of their status and that of the policemen attached to them. Any erring VIP, or any policeman caught in an unauthorized beat, will be prosecuted.
The PSC Chairman said the Commission and the leadership of the Nigeria Police Force will enforce the presidential directive to the letter, stressing that henceforth, only authorized government officials and VIPs’ will be entitled to Police security.
Okiro noted that the nation cannot be battling with an inadequate Police Force while a majority of these scarce officers are in the service of a few privileged Nigerians who ordinarily should have no need for them.
He said the Nigeria Police will now be structured to do its primary duties of providing internal security and protecting lives and property.
The PSC Chairman said the Commission will give the leadership of the Nigeria Police Force the required support and encouragement to enhance its efficiency and effectiveness.
He also warned that the Commission will not hesitate to discipline any police officer who flouts the presidential directive by hanging onto these VIPs for pecuniary gain.
“We cannot afford to have more than half of the population of the Police in private hands,” Okiro said.