Why Banditry May Not End Soon-Wike
Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike of Rivers State has said banditry across the country has reached an unimaginable high level and may not end soon because the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Federal Government has politicised insecurity.
The governor said this when he received the Board of Editors of Independent Newspapers Limited, led by its Managing Director and Editor-In-Chief, Steve Omanufeme, at the Government House, Port Harcourt, on Thursday.
Governor Wike said when Rivers State experienced issues of insecurity in 2015, he ran to the Federal Government but rather than offering support, the government at the centre dismissed it as politics out of hatred and desire to see the state remain ungovernable.
“They didn’t send special forces to Rivers as they are sending to other states now. They refused to support me because they didn’t want the state to be governable.
“Crime knows no boundary. It can be you tomorrow. If they had brought out zeal to fight crime, with seriousness and collaboration, irrespective of the party you belong to, good result will be achieved.
“Banditry will never end since they have politicised the issue of security. I told them ‘don’t politicise issues of security’. They are paying the price. Whatever you sow, you will reap. If you sow peace you’ll reap peace. If you sow trouble, trouble will always be with you,” he said.
The governor said it is difficult to fight crime in situations when cultists are arrested, people go to Abuja to tell the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and the Chief of Army Staff that those arrested are their boys, just to secure their release and let them off the law.
Commented on the denials trailing the $1billion withdrawn from the Excess Crude Account for arms procurement, Wike said it is shameful that a government that is fighting corruption will condone such, allowing both the money and the weapons to go missing and unaccounted for.
“Now, the National Security Adviser says the $1billion they took from our Excess Crude Account, without even paying us our 13 Per cent Derivation, is gone. They said they have not seen the weapons.
“But this one the National Security Adviser is saying that they misquoted him, I tell you, nobody is misquoting anything. We are aware that there was no weapon.
“Even the Chief of Army Staff said he didn’t collect money. So where did the money go to? This is a government fighting corruption and the press is not talking,” he said.
Speaking further, Governor Wike berated the Press for losing its strength of voice to speak truth to authority with vehemence as they did during the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan.
“As regards this country, we are where we are because of you (journalists). In 2014, you were bought over to pull down the government of President Goodluck Jonathan.
“I told the Trade Union Congress (TUC) the other day, and asked ‘where are you that you see things in Nigeria getting worse; insecurity, increase in price of everything and you say nothing?
“Now, you will not pull down Nigeria again because it is not a minority man that is in power. Where is the voice of the people? Where is the voice of the journalists? Has your mouth be sealed up, dumped and you can’t talk again?
“Is it because you have seen power greater than you? When Jonathan was in power, he respected fundamental human rights. He allowed freedom of speech. Nobody would be arrested.
“But now, you can’t talk because of fear that you’ll be arrested. That is the situation we found ourselves. So, when I see journalists these days, I just shy. But you owe this country alot.”
Governor Wike said if Nigeria was truly a country, the former GOC of the 6 Division of the Nigeria Army in Port Harcourt would have been dismissed because of his alleged involvement in politics during the 2019 general elections.
He also said even the former Chief of Army Staff was so exposed and accused him to have lobbied the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and attempted to rig the 2019 general election.
Wike also wondered how the APC-led Federal Government will forget so soon that Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala beinhg celebrated as Director General of World Trade Organisation had once been accused of running down Nigeria’s economy when they assumed office in 2015.
“It is now obvious that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) means well for Nigeria because she (Okonjo-Iweala) has been part of the PDP administration in the country,” he said.
Managing Director and Editor-In-Chief of Independent Newspaper, Steve Omanufeme, said the company brought the notification of Award as Governor of the Year, 2020 for Infrastructure Development.
He said the Board of Editors met and affirmed that Governor Wike has been consistent, even in his second tenure in developing infrastructure.
Omanufeme listed the governor’s achievement to include roads, using the Real Madrid Football Academy to empower Rivers youths and thriving as strong but lone voice, always speaking truth to power.
