By Kelvin Ebiri
Rivers State governor and Peoples Democratic Party presidential aspirant, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike says the establishment of State police will be one enduring approach to addressing the festering insecurity in Nigeria.
Governor Wike while wooing delegates of PDP in Taraba State when he met with them in Jalingo on Thursday, dismissed the argument against the need for State police.
“The federal government, you cannot stop this insecurity if you don’t have state police. You must have state police, there is no two ways about it. Having a state police does not mean you will not have a federal police. All over the federal system, even councils have their own police so that you employ people who know the environment.
“You cannot take a stranger to go to Mabila, it will take him years to understand that place. You can’t take a stranger and go to Donga or Chanchangi. So, you need people who knows the environment so they will be able to take care of the place.
“If federal offences are committed, the federal police should handle them. If they are state offences, the state police should handle. So one key thing to stop this insecurity in Nigeria is to have state police.”
The Rivers State governor said those opposing state police often argue that if allowed, State governors will use it against their opponents.
“The question is will the governors be in office permanently? So, that argument is neither here or there. If this party called APC government loves Nigeria and are committed to Nigeria, one project that they would have given to Nigeria is the creation of State police.”
Governor Wike explained that the beauty of establishing State police is to ensure that people who are indigenous to an area are engaged in policing their environment.
Speaking further, governor Wike told the delegates that he was presenting himself to them to be given the presidential ticket to fly the party’s flag in the 2023 election because he is prepared to end the many troubles facing Nigeria.
According to him, Nigeria needs a leader who is forthright, can speaks the truth always and competently be the Commander-in-Chief who goes to the field where Nigerians can relate with their daily experiences.
“The one problem that our (PDP) government, (under me if elected) must solve is to bring down the level of insecurity in this country otherwise there is no way the economy can grow.
“When bandits hear my name they will run because I will take the war to them. I will be the Commander- in-Chief in action.
“I’ll be commanding in projects, in security, in agriculture and the economy together with the armed forces. I’ll be commanding every aspects of life that will make Nigerians happy. This is because I have the capacity to solve the problems of Nigeria.”
Governor Wike lamented the incidences of bomb blast in parts of the country and at railway tracks.
He described such incidences including the operations of Boko Haram and bandits that have killed most Nigerians as the legacy of the APC federal government.
Similarly, the Taraba State governor, Darius Ishaku also harped the need for creation of state police.
He lamented the state of insecurity in Nigeria and expressed optimism that if PDP returns to power in 2023, the party will restore the lost glory of the country.
“He (Wike) speaks the truth, he fears nobody, and he is a workaholic. You have seen how he has turned Rivers State to a working site. We welcome him. We know what he has said, if God permits he will do it.
“Nigeria is yearning for leadership. He has said it, hunger doesn’t know east, south or west. Kidnapping doesn’t know south, east or west. Security is security. If there is no security there is no economy. If there is no economy, the country is not existing.”
On his part, former Governor of Gombe State Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo, who described Governor Wike as a faithful party man with requisite experience to lead Nigeria.
“He is a true party man. Wike joined the party in 1998 and he is still in the party. He has never left even when the going was tough. When great people ran away, Wike stayed. He did not only stay, because he did not have anywhere to go, he contributed in building the party, in making the party stable and ensuring that the party continue as a growing concern.”
“I have been to Rivers State while I was a governor, and have also been to Rivers State while I left as a governor. This is a man that has performed extremely very well. In education, health, social interaction of people and most importantly in security. In the area of security which is our major problem in Nigeria today, Wike has stabilise the Niger Delta today, particularly his own state of Rivers.
“You can remember how Rivers was eight years ago and you see how Rivers has become one of the most visited states in Nigeria today. Companies are coming back, revenues have double, you know this is important in all the states, when you lost revenue because people are leaving. People have come back, investments have come back, development is in force.”
@views exclusive rights: Kelvin Ebiri is the Special Assistant Media to the Rivers State Governor, April 21, 2022.
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