The National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Extraordinary Convention/ Planning Committee, James Akpanodoehe has reiterated that the presence of heavy security at the Buhari house is to forestall any form of embarrassment on the party and its properties noting that no one should expect the party to call thugs to defend the party.
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The APC scribe made this clarification in a briefing with pressmen on Monday saying it is not out of place to have security tighten up around the party’s secretariat but it is important that everyone including the caretaker committee chairman, media, and staff are protected against every form of attack.
He said security reports are key to the progress of any established institution as only through taking measures can whatever plan be nipped in the bud. He stressed that the Department of State Security, DSS has been notified on what to do.
According to him: ” The police are here to strengthen the leadership of Governor Mai Bala Buni, the caretaker chairman of the APC. What do I mean by that? Whenever you read a security situation, Whenever you heard of a security report that is privy to us, it is incumbent on our part to strengthen up so that we can protect the lives and property of APC.
” APC cannot be embarrassed because this is a national government, therefore, we take measures to restore any happenings. We cannot underestimate security reports. We cannot play down on it. We have a security report, we cannot take laws into our hands.
“You can’t expect us to call thugs to defend the national secretariat. The right thing to do is to inform the police and the DSS that they may know whoever gave them the report so that whatever thing they plan is not to allow to happen”, he said.
He added that another measure being put in place in the secretariat is that whoever will enter the premises must wear a face mask as part of efforts to defeat the Delta variant of covid-19.
” We are going to take measures. Another measure we want to take is that if you don’t have your face mask, we are going to start testing people now because of the Delta variant of covid-19. You will not be able to come to the national Secretariat. That doesn’t mean that the police force has taken over the secretariat because of the extension of covid 19. So that is what it is.
” It is a measure to protect the property and lives. For instance, if you have a protest and you as a media man, are attacked or brutalized, it will be big news that somebody has been shot at the national secretariat. It is our responsibility as managers of this party to put measures to protect you, lives, and property”.
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On the question of how much of the security reports affect the party secretariat, he emphasized that he has held several sensitive positions that bother on intelligence and by that any stretch of the imagination, any rumor is as good that is taken care of before it turns to another thing.
” No one should take anything for granted as little as a rumor. We must have to put everything in place, even the one that is not verifiable, a just rumor we must put it in place because we cannot be embarrassed.
” I’m privileged to have been the minister of FCT. I’m privileged to have been a local government chairman. I’m privileged to have sat on the federal executive council and I have been privileged to have sat as a member security and intelligence committee of the Senate. So what we consider to be a threat is not what we consider to be a threat. A mere word that you passed by, we would heighten it because we don’t want to be embarrassed
” We always have the police here, this is APC that produced the national Government. We cannot embarrass the president, we cannot embarrass the government of APC, we cannot embarrass ourselves. How can the chairman’s position be threatened? No his position is not to threaten. Don’t carry rumors. Read the judgment of the Supreme Court. The chairman is as firm as ever”, he stated.