Rivers State Governor and presidential aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, says bandits will take to their heels when they hear his name.
Governor Wike who stated this in Taraba State while wooing delegates of the PDP, equally dismissed the argument against the need for state police.
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He said: “When bandits hear my name they will run because I will take the war to them. I will be the Commander- in-Chief in action.
“I’ll be commanding in projects, in security, in agriculture and the economy together with the armed forces. I’ll be commanding every aspect of life that will make Nigerians happy. This is because I have the capacity to solve the problems of Nigeria.”
Governor Wike lamented the incidents of bomb blasts in parts of the country and at railway tracks.
He described such incidents, including the operations of Boko Haram and bandits that have killed most Nigerians, as the legacy of the APC federal government.
He opined that the establishment of state police will be one enduring approach to addressing the festering insecurity in Nigeria.
“The federal government, you cannot stop this insecurity if you don’t have state police. You must have state police, there is no two ways about it. Having a state police does not mean you will not have a federal police. All over the federal system, even councils have their own police so that you employ people who know the environment.
“You cannot take a stranger to go to Mambila, it will take him years to understand that place. You can’t take a stranger and go to Donga or Chanchangi. So, you need people who know the environment so they will be able to take care of the place.
“If federal offences are committed, the federal police should handle them. If they are state offences, the state police should handle. So one key thing to stop this insecurity in Nigeria is to have state police.”
The Rivers State governor said those opposing state police often argue that if allowed, state governors will use it against their opponents.
“The question is will the governors be in office permanently? So, that argument is neither here nor there. If this party called APC government loves Nigeria and are committed to Nigeria, one project that they would have given to Nigeria is the creation of state police,” he said.
Governor Wike explained that the beauty of establishing state police is to ensure that people who are indigenous to an area are engaged in policing their environment.
Speaking further, Governor Wike told the delegates that he was presenting himself to them to be given the presidential ticket to fly the party’s flag in the 2023 elections because he is prepared to end the many troubles facing Nigeria.
According to him, Nigeria needs a leader who is forthright, can speak the truth always and competently be the Commander-in-Chief.
Similarly, the Taraba State Governor, Darius Ishaku, also harped on the need for creation of state police.
He lamented the state of insecurity in Nigeria and expressed optimism that if PDP returns to power in 2023, the party will restore the lost glory of the country.
“He (Wike) speaks the truth, he fears nobody, and he is a workaholic. You have seen how he has turned Rivers State to a working site. We welcome him. We know what he has said, if God permits he will do it.
“Nigeria is yearning for leadership. He has said it, hunger doesn’t know east, south or west. Kidnapping doesn’t know south, east or west. Security is security. If there is no security there is no economy. If there is no economy, the country is not existing,” Ishaku said.
On his part, former Governor of Gombe State Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo, described Governor Wike as a faithful party man with requisite experience to lead Nigeria.
“He is a true party man. Wike joined the party in 1998 and he is still in the party. He has never left even when the going was tough. When great people ran away, Wike stayed. He did not only stay, because he did not have anywhere to go, he contributed in building the party, in making the party stable and ensuring that the party continues as a going concern.
“I have been to Rivers State while I was a governor, and have also been to Rivers State after I left as a governor. This is a man that has performed extremely very well. In education, health, social interaction of people and most importantly in security. In the area of security which is our major problem in Nigeria today, Wike has stabilised the Niger Delta today, particularly his own state of Rivers.
“You can remember how Rivers was eight years ago and you see how Rivers has become one of the most visited states in Nigeria today. Companies are coming back, revenues have doubled. You know this is important in all the states, when you lose revenue because people are leaving. People have come back, investments have come back, development is in force,” said Dankwambo.