By Our Reporter
Lagos State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has urged Nigerians to ignore what it described as needless drama, misinformation, and politically motivated hysteria surrounding the directive on the withdrawal of police escorts from VIPs, saying that the matter had been blown out of proportion, by those who thrived on sensationalism rather than sober reflection.
The party made the call in a release signed by its spokesperson, Seye Oladejo, copy of which made available to newsmen on Wednesday, saying that the truth about withdrawal of police from VIPs was simple, clear, and incontrovertible as the "policy is neither new, strange, nor targeted at any individual or group."
According to APC, the policy is a routine administrative measure aimed at restoring professionalism within the Nigeria Police Force and reinforcing the primary mandate of the police, saying that it was put in place "to protect the general population, not a privileged few."
"This policy is neither new, strange, nor targeted at any individual or group. It is a routine administrative measure aimed at restoring professionalism within the Nigeria Police Force and reinforcing the primary mandate of the police - to protect the general population, not a privileged few," Oladejo said.
The party noted that for years, stakeholders and security experts had lamented the lopsided deployment of police personnel, where thousands of officers who should secure communities, infrastructure, and public spaces were attached to private individuals as status symbols, adding: "The reform is therefore a long-overdue correction, not a controversy."
APC stated that rather than those in the opposition seeing the benefit of withdrawing policemen from VIPs they have attempted to weaponize the issue, spinning false narratives to mislead the public, declaring pointedly that their loud lamentations betrayed a mindset that saw public institutions as personal estates.
"Their loud lamentations betray a mindset that sees public institutions as personal estates. Nigeria cannot continue to fund insecurity at the national level while pampering VIP sensitivities," the party declared.
Speaking further, APC noted that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, deserved commendation, not criticism, for championing a reform that prioritized the safety of millions of ordinary Nigerians, saying that the party stood firmly behind them for the steps taken by withdrawing police from VIPs.
"The Lagos APC stands firmly behind any policy that strengthens national security, improves community policing, and restores discipline to the security architecture," the party said.
The party also assured members of the public that the decision does not affect constitutionally mandated security details for public office holders or those entitled to official protection by law, saying that it merely curtailed the abuse, excesses, and frivolous deployment of police officers to private engagements.
APC stressed that in the days ahead, it expected more policy adjustments in the security sector as Nigeria accelerates its journey toward a safer, more efficient, and more accountable policing system.
"Those attempting to politicize this reform should be reminded that the era of impunity is over," the party further declared.
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