The Inter-Ethnic Network For Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi (INCRA), has faulted the Rivers State Governor, Chief Barr. Nyesom Wike over his recent live broadcast condemning the activities of IPOB in the state.
The group in a press statement said the broadcast is sufficient in falsehood and fraught with incoherence and contradictions consistent with the manner of the Governor and, therefore, consider the broadcast as one of his usual inveighings. Consequently, we are compelled to state as follows:
1. That the Governor has remained worrissomely evasive on the issue of the continued desecration and annexation of Rivers State by the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, obviously for reasons bothering on politics, not mindful of the danger it poses to the lives of innocent citizens and residents of the State.
The Governor, whose major preoccupation is politicking even where none exists, must come to the realisation that his first and most important responsibility to Rivers State and its people is the protection of lives, properties and the territorial integrity of the State. As the Chief security officer of the State, it behoves the Governor to protect the territory of the State from any form of incursion or activities that threaten the peace and engenders tension and hostility.
We therefore, call on the Rivers State government to rise to the occasion and vehemently condemn in very clear terms, the intrusive activities of IPOB in Rivers State, rather than dish out toothless and impotent warnings that do not serve the occasion.
2. Nothing has exposed Governor Wike's hypocrisy more than this broadcast. Not only has the Governor's secret support for IPOB been uncovered, he also projects himself as a possible sponsor of the brewing unrest intended to spite and undermine the Buhari-led government.
We are indeed surprised that the Governor talks about restructuring as a panacea to the problems facing the country, and we ask, were these so called structural challenges facing the country now, absent during the Goodluck Jonathan-led government of which he was a major part?
This goes to show the level of hypocrisy of the Governor and his odium for President Buhari's government. Presumably, the Governor and his ilks may be working against President Buhari's drive to ensure a united Nigeria by promoting and sponsoring civil unrest under the guise of agitating for self determination.
We expected Governor Wike to use the occasion of his broadcast to address the issue of the purported plans by IPOB to hold the 2017 World Igbo Day in Port Harcourt, knowing fully well that the volatile security situation in the State at the moment cannot sustain such event. His failure to address a sensitive issue as this smacks of complicity in the IPOB brouhaha.
3. The Governor contradicted himself so much for a public officer holding an exalted position as the one he occupies. He did not fail to expose his spite and disdain for the security operatives working tirelessly and risking their lives to rid the State of crime and criminality imposed on it majorly by political actions of which the Governor is a lead actor.
Wike advises residents of the State to cooperate with security agencies and at the time incites them to resist and contend with the same security operatives that protects them.
" We call on Rivers people to be vigilant and not to allow themselves to be used to foment trouble in our State. Do not hesitate to report any suspicious character or movements around your vicinity to the law enforcement agencies for immediate action." He continues: "We therefore, call on members of the general public to be vigilant and always be ready to protect yourselves from the criminal machinations of SARS Rivers State, lest you become an unfortunate victim."
It is contemptible and unsuitable for a Governor who should naturally ensure peace and order in the State to be the one inciting citizens against constituted authorities.
4. Again, the Governor did not hesitate to make bare his penchant for making airy and hollow accusations without exploiting the various means available to him to confirm the veracity of such claims.
It is sad to note that the Governor accuses the men of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, in Rivers State of masterminding and aiding criminality in the State on assumptive grounds. Recall that the Governor had on September 13, 2017, alleged in a press release that the Rivers State SARS are behind the various kidnappings and robbery operations going on in the State, adding that the revelation was made by a special squad from the Police IG after a SARS operative was allegedly killed in a gun duel between SARS and the special squad. It is however, sickening that he now turns around to declare in his recent State broadcast that the veracity of his allegations against men of the SARS can only be established after a probe.
"Although the veracity of these allegations can only be fully established through an independent probe.."
This indicates that he was uncertain of his earlier accusations against the security operatives before hurriedly going to the media to accuse them. May we be made aware that this abrupt twist in the Governor's earlier allegations against the Rivers State SARS is coming on the heels of the Police IG's assertions that Wike's claims against the SARS in the State are groundless and smacks of falsehood.
Following this false alarm by the Governor who ordinarily should double-check his facts before going public in order not to misinform members of the public, we expressly demand that he tenders an unreserved apology to the SARS command in Rivers State and the police hierarchy.
5. The claim by the Governor to have invested in the security agencies in the State more than any other government in the country is spurious and misleading. One wonders what support the Governor was referring to when it is on record that his activities directly or indirectly downplay the effort of the security agencies in curbing the insecurity plaguing the State.
We make bold to say that no government in Rivers State has had more number of known cultists and ex-militants in its cabinet or in positions of power than the Wike-led government. It's on record that the Governor has shown a marked level of levity in decisively dealing these criminals and cultists a deadly blow. Under the circumstance, there is no way the State can be rid of criminal elements as government's actions and inactions are antagonistic to the efforts of the security agencies.
For security to thrive in the State, the Governor must not only be willing to cooperate with security agencies and assist them with the needed logistics but also provide the enabling environment for them to operate. This is equally as important as providing logistics, moral and financial supports for their operations.
6. The Governor's broadcast also confirms our earlier position that Rivers State is insecure even though he previously denied this obvious fact, however, in the State broadcast, he affirms that insecurity is ravaging the State.
"Furthermore, while the noticeable increase of kidnapping incidents along the East-West road and the Owerri-Port Harcourt road some of the rescued victims have reportedly pointed SARS operatives as the ones that are responsible for most kidnappings along those roads."
The Governor's enunciation of curbing insecurity in the State is a fantasy as there are no specific or proactive steps he has taken to stem the situation. Practically, Governor Wike's loss of confidence in the Federal SARS, a special arm of the police, is a direct invitation to military intervention and admission of anarchy in the State.
7. INCRA maintains that Governor Wike is unprepared for governance by all standards as he is unable to manifest the tact, finesse and ingenuity required of the exalted office which he occupies.
We urge the Governor to ensure he maintains a cordial working relationship with security operatives in order to curb the insecurity menacing the State rather than disparaging, vilifying and raising invectives against them.
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