The Inspector-General of Police, IGP, Solomon Arase, has declared that only government officials would henceforth enjoy police protection, even as he warned police personnel attached to government officials against carrying out domestic chores and other menial jobs for their principals.
The IGP sounded this warning at an interactive session with Police Inspectors and other rank and file personnel selected from commands nationwide at the Force Headquarters in Abuja.
While urging the cadre to respect themselves and the Nigeria Police Force by not engaging in menial jobs for their principals, he said, “I have directed the commissioner of police in-charge of the airports that if they find any of you carrying boxes (of VIPs) and rifles, and dragging them all over the place, they should arrest you and you will be punished.’’
“Those of you who are posted to VIPs, on no account should you carry their bags and on no account should you act as domestic servants to them. You are police officers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and they must respect you as such. Your uniform must be respected, anybody who wants to hire a domestic help should not use our policemen who are sent to protect them as domestic help”.
The police boss noted that the session was organised to enable the personnel to interface with the management team for better working relations as well as to enable them to table their problems.
He used the occasion to intimate them of the vision of the police under his leadership, including the war against corruption and enforcement of the ban on roadblocks and assured them that their welfare would be given priority attention as a way of encouraging them to discharge their duties effectively.
Arase further promised that the police had concluded plans to provide them affordable accommodation through the police mortgage and cooperative at not more than N3.5 million.
Disclosing that a number of policemen would proceed on training preparatory to the promotion after the inauguration of the new government on May 29, he however clarified that the welfare of police personnel would be based on good conduct and hard work. He stressed that, “Your professional conduct is going to mean so much to the current administration in the police”.
The IGP cautioned his men against disobeying traffic rules, saying: “If you are going to enforce the law, you must obey the law before you start enforcing the law.’’ Commenting on the indiscriminate use of siren, the Arase directed policemen in the field to arrest those not authorised to use siren.
“Anywhere you are doing your duty and found those not authorised using the siren; I am giving authority for you to arrest them.
“You must not hold horsewhips or sticks to assault anybody on the highways,’’ Arase said.
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