Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State says banditry would not end any time soon because security has been politicised. He has since accused the FG of politicising security in many ways. This is as he has lampooned the FG over the controversies surrounding the $1 billion arms fund.
The governor also told a live television audience that there was nothing to smile about in the said approval of $1.5 billion to rehabilitate the Port Harcourt Refinery, saying such promises never materialised.
Wike, who seems to have huge insight in how the presidency does things as a caucus member of the Goodluck Jonathan administration that lost to President Muhammadu Buhari, accused the FG and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of alleged politicizing of security and plunging the nation an unimaginable scale of banditry that may not end soon. This was same line of accusation by the then APC against the then ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The governor spoke in Port Harcourt on Thursday, saying when Rivers State experienced issues of insecurity in 2015, he ran to the Federal Government but rather than offering support, they dismissed it as politics out of hatred for the State and desire to see the state remain ungovernable.
“They didn’t send special forces to Rivers as they’re 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.
He further added: “Banditry will never end since they’ve politicised the issue of security. I told them don’t politicise issues of security. They’re 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.”
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 (IG) and the Chief of Army Staff that those arrested are their boys just to secure their release and let them off the law.
Governor Wike commented on the denials trailing the $1billion withdrawn from the Excess Crude Account and said it is shameful that a government that is fighting corruption will condole such, allowing both the money and the weapons to go missing, unaccounted for.
“Now, the National Security Adviser says the $1billion they took from our Excess Crude Account without even paying us our 13 percent derivation is gone. They said they’ve 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.”
Speaking further, governor Wike berated the Nigeria press for losing their strength of voice to speak truth to authority with vehemence as they did during the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan.
Meanwhile, Governor Wike says the approval of $1.5 billion for rehabilitation of Port Harcourt refinery smacks of politics.
The governor said there is really nothing to jubilate about the approval because similar promises had been made in the past, particularly during election transition period that never materialised.
Governor Wike , who stated this during an interview on Channels Television, pointed out that people ought to bear in mind that there is a difference between mere approval and actual release of the $1.5 billon for the rehabilitation.
“I am not going to jubilate because the Federal Government said they have approved $1.5billion for the rehabilitation of Port Harcourt refinery. Thank God they said so, but let us wait and see the outcome of it at the end of the day.”
The governor described as unacceptable a situation where all the refineries in the Niger Delta region, which is the hub of the oil and gas industry, are not functioning.
“We have had these promises and nothing has happened. And so, I don’t want to start to sing hallelujah. Let us wait and see based on the approval and the statement made by the Minister of State for petroleum. We will hold him accountable to it.”
Governor Wike said before the APC led government assumed office in 2015, the APC had promised to fix the refineries. He wondered how the government which now has barely two years to the end of its tenure can fix the refineries it neglected since 2015.
“they said, Nigerians if you give us (APC) the opportunity to remove this (PDP) government that told you it (refinery)will work, we are going to make it (refinery) work. And since 2015 it has not worked. Now we are going to the next transition, you are now coming to tell Nigerians you have made this approval. The same thing in Ogoni clean up. It has always come up when we are going for election.”
