Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike has said that it is unconstitutional for President Muhammadu Buhari to shift the power of securing life and property of Nigerians to the state governors.
Wike explained that Mr President is the Commander- In-Chief of the Armed Forces and cannot declare that governors are in charge of security in their respective states.
Wike’s comments comes on the heels of president Buhari’s claims that the governors were not doing enough to secure their states.
But Wike, while speaking at the commissioning of the 21 kilometers Odufor-Akpoku-Umuoye Road in Etche Local Government Area on Tuesday, said such position suggests that the APC led federal government has lost grip of strategy of how to tackle the troubling security issues, and make the country safe for Nigerians.
“Mr. President, you’re the Commander- in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. You appoint Inspector General of Police (IG), you appoint the Chief of Army Staff, Chief of Naval Staff, the Commissioner of Police (CP), Director of Department of State Service (DSS) and other heads of security. Which one do we appoint? How can people appointed by Mr. President be under me?
“It is not only to borrow money for Nigeria that you’re in charge. You must, also, be in charge in other things including security. Who signed order 10? Is it the governors? It is not when things are going bad concerning security, and you say you’re not in charge, and it becomes governors’ responsibility.”
Governor Wike admonished the APC federal government to own up that it can no longer fulfil promises made to Nigerians, and also lead the country out of its present predicament. According to Governor Wike, when there is a failure, what makes leadership respectable is that such leader is able to accept its weakness publicly.
The governor pointed out that it was time Nigerians begin to compare the performances of PDP and APC governors in office.
He said, Mr. President was short of calling names of those governors who run to Aso Rock when they are supposed to stay in their states to see the needs of their states and people.
“Mr. President should have come out openly and said, my APC governors, stop worrying me. Go back to your states and do your work. On that, I support him.
“Thank God, Mr. President knows that I am not one of those that go to visit him over one problem or the other. I, as the governor of Rivers under PDP, you’ll never find me there.”
