Wike accuses IG of posting incompetent police commissioners to Rivers State

Gov. Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has pointedly accused the Inspector General of Police (IGP) of posting those he described as incompetent commissioners of police to Rivers State. He blamed the lapse for the state of insecurity in the state. He also said this is why he would not partner with the federal government.

Wike, who was an insider in the Goodluck Jonathan administration as minister and caucus member said competence and genuine efforts at fighting criminality and insecurity in the country were often undermined by political inference.

Wike must have known how such things can be manipulated because his predecessor, Chibuike Amaechi, also accused Wike and the presidency of posting Mbu Mathew Mbu to the state to destabilize him.

Now, Wike, complaining of same mesure, said it is very disappointing that the IG would compromise competence in posting a Commissioner of Police (CP) to Rivers State because a favour-seeking politician had approached him for such patronage.

The governor made the accusation when he led the Chief Whip of the Nigeria Senate, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, former Minister of Works, Mike Onolememen, and other dignitaries on project inspection tour in Port Harcourt and ObioAkpor Local Government Areas of Rivers State on Thursday.

Governor Wike said such handling of touchy issues like insecurity makes it difficult for him to partner with the Federal Government often, especially because they are not committed to solving the insecurity plaguing the country.

Otherwise, he stated, why should the Inspector General of Police grant such demand of posting a CP to compromise competence.

“There is so much insecurity in Nigeria. There are killings every where and they (APC) told Nigerians that they will solve the problem. But the problem is not being solved.

“They appoint Commissioner of Police (CP) based on patronage. A politician from my state will go to see the Inspector General of Police and ask him to give him a CP.

“And the IG will not post CP based on competence to fight crime but based on the fact that the man in the party says he wants so and so person.

“When the person comes, will he fight insecurity? No. That’s the problem we have in this country today. How can I partner with such a government? A government that will not do things based on competence.”