Bauchi Central lawmaker, Senator Abdul Ningi, has expressed concern that police orderlies had been withdrawn from lawmakers, while businesspeople, celebrities, influencers, and even their children continued to retain armed escorts.

Rising under Order 9, the senator's intervention exposed glaring disparities in the implementation of President Bola Tinubu's directive for the withdrawal of police orderlies from VIPs.

His motion has prompted swift action from Senate leadership, as he cited the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act, relevant statutes, parliamentary precedent, and long-standing practice to argue that the matter demanded immediate attention.

Ningi noted that where standing orders are inadequate, the Senate is empowered to regulate its conduct.

Meanwhile, President Tinubu has doubled down on his directive for the immediate withdrawal of police officers attached as escorts to Very Important Persons (VIPs) across Nigeria, emphasising the need to redeploy personnel to frontline security duties amid escalating national challenges.

During Wednesday's Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, the President restated the order originally issued in November, amid reports of lingering non-compliance in some quarters.

This move aims to address manpower shortages in the Nigeria Police Force and bolster community policing, as thousands of officers previously assigned to private VIP protection are redirected to combat insurgency, banditry, and other threats.

In a related development on security and economic reforms, President Tinubu has directed Vice President Kashim Shettima to convene an emergency meeting of the National Economic Council (NEC) to deliberate on accelerating the implementation of the national ranching plan. The agenda focuses on transitioning from open grazing to modern ranching systems, building on the Ministry of Livestock Development's ongoing initiatives to resolve farmer-herder conflicts and modernize the sector.

The President highlighted ranching as essential for sustainable livestock farming, peacebuilding, and national harmony, urging stakeholders to embrace the shift to curb violence linked to open grazing.

These directives come as part of broader efforts to tackle Nigeria's security emergencies, including recent approvals for massive police and military recruitment drives.

ASA