Economic expert has called on the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to consider formalizing and pricing the services of Police VIP escort/guard duties to create jobs and raise revenue.
Abiola Rasaq, former Economist and Head, Investor Relations at UBA Plc made the suggestion in an interview with Daily Trust Tuesday.
The call follows a report that the acting Inspector General of Police, Olukayode Egbetokun, has vowed to effect the withdrawal of Police Mobile Force personnel from VIP escort/guard duties.
This is as he established the Special Intervention Squad which according to him would have 40,000 highly trained police officers including selected officers from the Police Mobile Force.
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Egbetokun said, “We shall effect the withdrawal of PMF personnel from VIP escort/guard duties. While the protection of dignitaries remains paramount, it is imperative that we realign our priorities to address the escalating security challenges faced by the nation as a whole.
“The withdrawn PMF officers will be replaced by officers of the Special Protection Unit only where necessary.”
Reacting to the move, Rasaq said: “In my view, I don’t think he needs to withdraw the officers, he just needs to formalise and price the service appropriately.”
He said the NPF can have a division separately managed by a CP or AIG for that service “it can even be a venture, train them for that purpose. Charge at least N500k per month per police attache and pay the police officer well out of it.”
He said the government can create jobs with it. He argued that banks, companies, and individuals who need those officers should apply online and pay for the service.
Rasaq said: ‘The division/venture should be self-sustaining and indeed it can be a partial financing source for the police. Their uniforms and apparatus should be different, so that everyone knows the difference between this security outfit and the regular public officers, even so the security outfits should also be an integral part of the public security service.
“I am an advocate of the philosophy that those who have money should be allowed to spend it and indeed the consumption habit of the rich should be harnessed in creating jobs for masses. More so, the force can always leverage on the trained security outfits whenever they are needed to reinforce the public service officers for critical national assignments since they are an integral part of the force.”
He said, what is wrong in the system today is that companies and High Networth Individuals ( HNIs) are enjoying this service at little or no cost, so it’s a situation where the poor taxpayers’ money is spent on the luxury lifestyle of the rich, some of who do not even pay tax.
He said: “It is so bad that all dick and harry now have police escorts, who merely oppress innocent Nigerians, whose taxes are being used to subsidise these acclaimed elites. It’s a big subsidy the official fees paid to the government (even when they do pay officially) do not even cover the cost of the police officers to the government.
“If the government can stop fuel subsidy, why not stop this leakage that is undermining the capacity of the police force, as a sizable percentage of our gallant officers are only guarding a few, leaving perhaps 99% of Nigerians to either rely on God or self-defense, which often resorts into variants of security challenges and sometimes mutate into an insurgency.”
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