Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Rasaq Atunwa, has relinquished the security personnel attached to him, following the failure of Police to return security details to the former Governor of the state, Senator Bukola Saraki.
The Speaker, at a press briefing on September 10 threatened to relinquish the police security attached to him if Saraki’s security detail was not restored before Friday, September 13.
He said the act constituted a clear breach of the law.
Atunwa had explained that Saraki was entitled to the provision of police security as part of his pension entitlement by virtue of Section 2 (3) Paragraph H of the Third Schedule of Kwara State Governor and Deputy Governor (payment of pension) Law 2010. “As the Speaker of Kwara State House of Assembly that enacted the law, it would be utterly improper for me to sit indolently and do nothing in the face of such flagrant violation of its law. “If the Nigeria Police Command does not deem it fit to protect a two-term Governor and Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, then it is duplicitous to seek to protect a Speaker of the state Assembly,” he said.
The Special Assistant to the Speaker on Media, Alhaji AbdulRahman Sanni, confirmed to newsmen that the speaker had relinquished the security details attached to him. He said the decison took effect from September 13, when the deadline given by the Speaker had lapsed.
Sanni said the decision was in fulfilment of his boss’ promise to give up all his security details unless such was returned to Saraki.
The Speaker now goes about his functions without the normal security personnel attached to him.
Commenting on the development, the Deputy Speaker, Prof. Gana Yisa, said he had told his policemen not to report for duty to his office until further notice. Yisa condemned the withdrawal of Saraki’s security details, noting that if the law passed by the House could be violated, the lawmakers could not stand and be watching without doing anything.
” We jointly passed the law that past governors and their deputies should be provided with security and if such a law passed by this House could be violated, we have no reason to sit and watch.
“So, as I speak to you, the security officers attached to me are also going until such a time when the security attached to the leader of PDP and former Governor of Kwara State, Dr Bukola Saraki, are brought back,
“ I too, have no reason to have security men. We are secured by God anyway.”
