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Tag: Wike

  • Wike’s love for ugly politics

    Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike of Rivers State may have learnt a few outlandish tricks from Adolf Hitler, the late German tyrant, master propagandist and one of the best firebrand orators the world has ever known. Like a joke, prior to World War 11, Adolf Hitler haggled the Nazi Germany and railroaded the country and the entire world into the most abominable carnage and bloodbath in human history.

    Before, during and after the governorship election in 2015, Wike’s inciting comments and his charge to members of his party to resist arrest by security operatives was scary. His threat to officials of INEC and security agencies who failed to do the bidding of his political party or even the threat to supporters of political opponents were some of the earliest signs that the Rivers State might soon be soaked in blood. As governor, Wike has kept the state under serious tension ever after. He didn’t disappoint on those promises, like Adolf Hitler.

    Adolf Hitler’s primary rules were never allow the public to cool off; never admit a fault or wrong; never concede that there may be some good in your enemy; never leave room for alternatives; never accept blame; concentrate on one enemy at a time and blame him for everything that goes wrong; people will believe a big lie sooner than a little one; and if you repeat it frequently enough people will sooner or later believe it.

    Like Hitler, Governor Wike is a thoroughbred nihilist and an advocate of Machiavellianism where the end justifies the means. He assassinates his political opponents’ characters in order to attain political position at all costs at the detriment of the citizens of Rivers State who elected him to show leadership. Relentlessly and randomly, he picks on perceived enemies, one after another, with a measure of consistency and currency and systematically chase them away from political reckoning.

    If you are a follower of Governor Wike’s uncanny and unregenerate politics since 2015, you will observe the unwholesome manipulation of perceptions, the steady use of “big lies”, distortion of facts, false alarms, ethnic instigations, electoral brigade, assassination and outright violence that have signposted Rivers State with a tag as the most politically blood soaked state in Nigeria.

    The Police, like everyone else suffered a major loss as DSP Akali Mohammed and his orderly were abducted and later beheaded by suspected cultists in Uju community in Ogba Egbema Ndoni local government area. The late Police officer was at the head of a police team from Mopol 48 to the community to take on cultists who allegedly held the area under siege when they met their untimely death in the hands of the cultists who laid ambush for them. The cultists hijacked their patrol vehicle and disappeared with their riffles. About 16 NYSC members were also reportedly abducted in the state during the elections and rescued by security men afterwards.

    The election that brought Governor Wike to power, along with the state and National Assembly were the bloodiest in the history of electioneering in Nigeria. Many INEC officials, journalists, party faithful and police men were hacked down in broad day light for Wike’s ambition to be realised. Since he assumed office as the Governor, he has practically thrown decency overboard, fighting real and imaginary political enemies, federal forces, his political party, the PDP, his political opponents, the ruling party, the APC, the Independent National Electoral Commission, and the nation’s security apparatus.

    Evidently, from the very beginning, it was clear that Wike would be a terrible disappointment to both Rivers State he seeks to govern and Nigeria at large. Rightly, he has taken incompetence in governance to a new height in Nigeria, turning Rivers State to a slaughter’s lab where human lives are not worth much and where kidnapping, assassination and robbery have become the norms.

    Recently, Wike was at it again. The governor accused the Inspector-General of Police of a plot to eliminate him. The state Commissioner for Information and Communication, Dr. Austin Tam-George made the allegation that Governor Nyesom Wike has been targeted for elimination by the Nigeria Police authorities. He claimed that Governor Wike had survived five assassination attempts in 11 months, accusing the police of complicity in attempts to eliminate the governor. He further disclosed that after several attempts to assassinate Wike had failed, an offer of N150 million was made to two of the six dismissed police officers, to directly kill the governor, but that the officers declined the offer.

    Governor Wike himself had said at several fora that the federal government had laid out plans to execute him. He accused the police and the Department of State Services (DSS) of being at the fore-front of the plans, especially with the withdrawal of his security detail and failure to restore his guards despite appeals from different strata of the society.

    The Nigeria Police Force would dismiss the allegation by Governor Wike:  “The allegation, coming from Governor Wike, is malicious and capable of misleading and causing disaffection between the Nigeria Police Force and the good people of Rivers State who the governor swore to lead and serve democratically without prejudice. The Nigeria Police Force wishes to categorically state that, there is no iota of truth in all the allegations and false assertions in the interview granted by the Governor of Rivers State, Mr. Nyesom Wike, as regards his accusations against the Inspector General of Police and the Nigeria Police Force”, the Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Jimoh Moshood said.

    The latest of Governor Wike’s dramatic incursion as a purveyor of pure falsehood came with the discovery of $45 million dollars in an Ikoyi residence which he claimed was stolen by former Governor Rotimi Amaechi. He claimed the money belongs to the Rivers State Government and gave seven days ultimatum to the Federal Government to return the funds to his government.

    What further evidence do we need to come to the conclusion that Governor Wike present preoccupation is an extension of his known acrimonious anger against Amaechi? Why is it that out of the 36 States of the federation it is only Rivers State Government that is claiming ownership of the recovered/discovered loot? Why is Governor Wike preemptive of EFCC’s investigation?

    Painfully, nothing significant has been credit to Wike’s governorship of Rivers State, two years down the line. The destruction of the educational sector by stopping the scholarship and free education scheme put up by the Amaechi administration that has become a reference point in Africa tops his agenda as policy thrust. The model educational and health facilities put up in all the local government areas of the state built by previous government has become the dens of cultists.  Wike has refused to pay the salaries of over 13,000 teachers employed by the administration of Amaechi in a bid to darken his benefactor’s contribution to the development of the state at the expense of the suffering masses.

     

    • Erasmus Ikhide writes from Lagos.
  • Rivers APC blasts Wike, others for linking Amaechi to recovered $43m

    Rivers APC blasts Wike, others for linking Amaechi to recovered $43m

    The Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has berated Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike, his Ekiti State counterpart, Ayodele Fayose and a former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode, for linking the recovered $43 million to Transportation Minister Rotimi Amaechi.
    In a statement yesterday by its Chairman, Chief Davies Ikanya, through his Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on Media and Public Affairs, Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, the party described the accusation as mischievous, wicked, diabolical, evil and a desperate attempt to run down an innocent man (Amaechi).
    It insisted that the transportation minister’s only crime was that he led the APC to defeat a party that prided itself as the largest in Africa.
    Rivers APC berated Wike and his “inglorious co-travellers” for allegedly attempting to denigrate and disparage Amaechi over the Ikoyi, Lagos $43 million saga.
    It said: “It is very sad and unfortunate that over two years that Amaechi led APC to dust the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2015 general elections, the PDP leaders, up till date, have refused to forgive Amaechi for disgracing them out of power and salvaging our nation from a system whose corruptive tendency is not only contagious, but legendary.
    “It is on record that apart from the Abuja residence of Amaechi, he has no other single plot of land in any part of this country. So, linking him to the ownership of the contentious Ikoyi estate and the huge sum of money found in it are nothing but an invidious plot to give a dog a bad name in order to hang it.
    “It is sad and shameful that a frustrated and disgraceful group with Wike and Fayose as the key actors should attempt to tarnish the hard-earned reputation of Amaechi, just because he collaborated with other patriotic Nigerians to oust a regime that is now exposed as the most corrupt ever in the history of Nigeria.
    “We sincerely sympathise with Wike, Fayose and Fani-Kayode in this failed plot, which has once again exposed them for their lowly type of life, even as we wish to remind them that one day, we all shall stand before God Almighty to give account of the type of politics people like them are promoting in Nigeria, devoid of integrity and ideology.
    “It has become very obvious that Wike and Fayose now derive pleasure from mentioning Amaechi’s name whenever any negative thing happens, in order to remain relevant and revive their dwindling political fortunes.
    “Instead of Wike and Fayose to face the myriad of problems they have created for themselves, PDP and their states, they prefer to preoccupy themselves with how to drag the name of Amaechi into every imaginable controversy. Their thinking is that by pulling down Amaechi, PDP will come back to power in 2019 to continue with their looting spree and destruction of our economy.
    “They (Wike and Fayose) truly deserve sympathy, because they are living in a fool’s paradise, as Nigerians are now wiser and will never entrust their fate in the hands of wicked and shameless looters like Wike and his co-travellers.”
    The main opposition party in Rivers also insisted that the former Rivers governor (Amaechi) had nothing to do with either the Ikoyi estate and the huge sum of money discovered there by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
    It urged Nigerians to ignore the antics of the likes of Wike, Fayose and Fani-Kayode.

    Rivers APC said: “Now that the revealing facts in the public domain disassociate Amaechi from recovered money and luxury apartment, we hereby request the three rabble-rousers (Wike, Fayose and Fani-Kayode) to formally apologise to Amaechi for the false accusation within two weeks or we may be left with no other option, but to brief our lawyers.
    “Wike and his confused government in Rivers State should carry out their threat to sue the Federal Government, if by the end of seven days the contentious huge sum is not returned to the Rivers State government or else they should hide their ugly faces in shame, if they should fail to do as threatened.
    “We urge the Federal Government for once take the continuous threat from Wike against the Muhammadu Buhari’s administration seriously and call him to order, to avoid the confused undemocratic mind from aborting our hard-earned democracy abruptly.”
    The main opposition party also described as unfortunate, Wike’s claim that the recovered $43 million was part of the proceeds of the Rivers State gas turbines sold by the Amaechi’s administration, despite knowing that the money realised from the sale was in the coffers of the government and budgeted accordingly.
    It said: “Nigerians can now attest that Amaechi stands as the most vilified and persecuted politician in Nigeria, for his bravery, patriotism and commitment to work for a better future for our country.
    “We remain convinced that God who has seen Amaechi this far, will always safeguard him from the Wikes and Fayoses, whose favourite pastime is their obsession to plot Amaechi’s downfall”
    Rivers APC also stated that the plot against the transportation minister by Wike and his co-travellers was a satanic project, which Almighty God would continue to frustrate, to the shame of the plotters.

  • Rivers APC blasts Wike, Fayose, Fani-Kayode for linking Amaechi to recovered $43m

    The Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has blasted the state Governor, Nyesom Wike; his Ekiti State counterpart, Ayodele Fayose; and a former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, for linking the recovered $43 million to Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi.

    The party in a statement issued by its Chairman, Chief Davies Ikanya, through his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Public Affairs, Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, described the accusation as mischievous, wicked, diabolical, evil and a desperate attempt to run down an innocent man.

    It insisted that the minister’s only crime was that he led the APC to defeat a party that was priding itself as the largest political party in Africa.

    Rivers APC berated Wike and his “inglorious co-travellers” for attempting to denigrate and disparage Amaechi over the $43 million saga.

    It said: “It is very sad and unfortunate that over two years that Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi led APC to dust PDP in the 2015 general elections, the PDP leaders, up till date, have refused to forgive Amaechi for disgracing them out of power and salvaging our nation from a system whose corruptive tendency is not only contagious, but legendary.

    “It is on record that apart from the Abuja residence of Amaechi, he has no other single plot of land in any part of this country. So, linking him to the ownership of the contentious Ikoyi estate and the huge sum of money found in it are nothing but an invidious plot to give a dog a bad name in order to hang it.

    “It is sad and shameful that a frustrated and disgraceful group with Wike and Fayose as the key actors should attempt to tarnish the hard-earned reputation of Amaechi, just because he collaborated with other patriotic Nigerians to oust a regime that is now exposed as the most corrupt ever in the history of Nigeria.

    “We sincerely sympathise with Wike, Fayose and Fani-Kayode in this failed plot, which has once again exposed them for their lowly type of life, even as we wish to remind them that one day, we all shall stand before God Almighty to give account of the type of politics people like them are promoting in Nigeria, devoid of integrity and ideology.

    “It has become very obvious that Wike and Fayose now derive pleasure from mentioning Amaechi’s name whenever any negative thing happens, in order to remain relevant and revive their dwindling political fortunes.

    “Instead of Wike and Fayose to face the myriad of problems they have created for themselves, PDP and their states, they prefer to preoccupy themselves with how to drag the name of Amaechi into every imaginable controversy. Their thinking is that by pulling down Amaechi, PDP will come back to power in 2019 to continue with their looting spree and destruction of our economy.

    “They (Wike and Fayose) truly deserve sympathy, because they are living in a fool’s paradise, as Nigerians are now wiser and will never entrust their fate in the hands of wicked and shameless looters like Wike and his co-travellers.”

     

     

  • Wike turning governance into circus, says Peterside

    Wike turning governance into circus, says Peterside

    An All Progressives Congress (APC) stalwart in Rivers, Dr. Dakuku Peterside has questioned the mental state of Governor Nyesom Wike after Wike claimed that the $43.45million found in a Lagos apartment belongs to Rivers Government.

    The Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) recovered the suspicious money in different currencies at a residence in Ikoyi, Lagos State.

    Wike claimed that the money was the proceeds from the sale of gas turbines by Rotimi Amaechi, who was his predecessor.

    Peterside, who is Director General, Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), and who also served in the Amaechi administration as a commissioner for works and later a member of the House of Representatives, slammed Wike’s claim as deceptive.

    He accused the governor of turning governance into a circus show and lacking the sense of dignity by constantly being in the news for all the wrong reasons.

    “Not too long ago, Wike apparently suffering from overdose of self delusion said he awarded road projects in far away Benue State and had mobilised contractors to site.

    “The same Wike has also accused the Inspector General of Police of plotting to assassinate him through the new CP in Rivers State.

    “We thought these were jokes taken too far. But the clownish governor has surprised himself with another tale by moonlight in trying to link his former boss and benefactor to the unclaimed money,” he said.

    According to Peterside, there is need to examine Wike’s state of mind because his utterances and actions are embarrassing Rivers people.

    “Time and time again, Wike is bringing ridicule to the office he occupies and embarrassing the people of Rivers State who are known to be intelligent, responsible and decent in upbringing,” he said.

    The APC chieftain said Amaechi, Minister of Transportation had since denied owning the said house in Lagos and challenged the Rivers Government to provide evidence to the contrary.

    Peterside explained that the money realised from the sale of gas turbines was paid into the account of Rivers state and used for projects.

    “While Wike can never come near the record of Amaechi, he is doing everything to reverse the unmatchable records of his predecessor.

    ” As at today, no one has seen copies of 2016 and 2017 budgets of Rivers State. Schools and health centres are shutting down with thousands of school age children out of school,” he said.

    “It is people like Wike who have made Nigerians to call to question the issue of immunity in the Constitution. He is taking immunity as shield to abuse the dignity of the office of Governor.

    “The governor can still retrace his steps and follow the path of dignity, decorum and respect the office he occupies for he holds it in trust on behalf of Rivers people,” he said.

    Peterside also said he had been a victim of the lies being told by the Wike Clan, as he was accused by the PDP chairman in the state, of using $6m to influence judicial officers.

  • Jonathan, Wike, Fayose, Sheriff trade tackles again over pdp crisis

    Jonathan, Wike, Fayose, Sheriff trade tackles again over pdp crisis

    LEADERS of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are still tearing at one another despite moves to ensure peace in the troubled party. Rivers State Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike yesterday described court-backed National Chairman Ali Modu Sheriff as a mole of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). The governor claimed that the Federal Government was sponsoring Sheriff because of the “destructive crisis that has engulfed the APC at the national level”.

    The governor spoke at the Sharks Stadium in Port Harcourt, the state capital, after receiving defectors said to be from the APC. His attack on Sheriff coincided with the chairman’s allegation that the governor gave former President Goodluck Jonathan N50 million to organise the botched PDP Stakeholders’ meeting.  Dr. Jonathan has denied the allegation, saying that he convened the meeting out of his genuine concern for peace to reign in the party.  Wike said: “Sheriff is a mole of the APC who is being sponsored by the Federal Government.  They are sponsoring Sheriff because of the crisis in the APC “.

    On the 2019 general elections, Wike said the alleged plan by INEC to rig in Rivers State would fail. He advised that only card readers should be used for the 2019 poll, adding that manual accreditation would lead to the manipulation of results. Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose said Sheriff has taken his desperation too far by accusing the former president of taking bribe. Fayose, in a message by his media aide, Lere Olayinka, stated: “If Sheriff has taken his desperation to serve his paymasters in the APC to the level of accusing Jonathan of being bribed to organise peace meeting for the PDP, there is no reason for any sane mind to continue to respond to the continuous advertisement of his political insanity.”

    Sheriff, who spoke through his deputy, Dr. Cairo Ojougboh at a news conference at the party’s secretariat, said Governors Wike and Fayose recruited Dr Jonathan into a fake peace effort pre-determined to scuttle the ongoing peace initiative in the party. “The result is that President Jonathan was lured into committing a serious breach of protocol that led to the failure of the exercise which was the intended outcome,” Sheriff said. According to him, Wike and the media chief, Dr Raymond Dokpesi, have already established their own political party.

    Their mission, he said, is to tie the PDP down with undue controversies. He said the party was worried that the amount of money Wike was spending on the crisis could smear the image of the PDP. “This money belongs to the people of Rivers State and it should not be misappropriated at the expense of the people to whom it rightfully belongs. “We, therefore, call on party leaders and Nigerians to refrain from accepting this money from Governor Wike in line with the spirit of our founding fathers,” Sheriff added.

    The party chairman restated his determination to go ahead with the plans to organise a convention for the party, saying preparations for a free and fair exercise were in top gear. Sheriff directed state chairmen of the PDP to send to the party secretariat the lists of all statutory delegates to the convention on or before April 27. He added that the National Executive Committee (NEC) would hold on May 3. Dr. Jonathan, who spoke through his media aide, Ikechukwu Eze, dismissed Sheriff’s allegation that he collected N50 million from Wike.  “I don’t think anybody will believe that Jonathan collected money from anybody to organise the meeting. It was out of his genuine concern to bring peace to the party. “

     

  • Group faults deployment of 221 policemen to Wike

    Group faults deployment of 221 policemen to Wike

    A  group, Citizens United for the Rehabilitation of Errants (CURE-Nigeria) has faulted claim by the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) that it recently deployed 221 police personnel for the protection of  Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State.

    The group queried the rational behind such deployment of security personnel to an individual in a society where majority of the citizens are expose to insecurity.

    CURE-Nigeria has also written the Minister of Interior, Abdulrahman Dambazau over the reported death of 32 inmates in a Lagos prison in a year.

    On the large number of policemen attached to Wike, the group, in a statement by its Executive Director,  Sylvester Uhaa, said the attachment of such large number of policemen to a governor with access to monthly security vote, was an indication that the security of the poor did not matter to the state.

    “This deployment is a clear indication that the lives and security of the masses do not matter, and that the Police Force is committed to protecting the rich and the powerful at the expense of the masses, who need more protection by law enforcement because they live in the most vulnerable locations and in most vulnerable situations.

    “If this deployment must continue, the NPF owes Nigerians, whose taxes are used to maintain these 221 officers, an explanation on why Governor Wike should have this number of police officers attached to him, while millions of Nigerians are left unprotected,” it said.

    On the death in Lagos prison, CURE-Nigeria urged the Minister of Interior to ensure enhanced deployment of health and other necessary facilities to the nation’s prisons to avert such avoidable death in future.

    “We call on you (the Minister)  to take immediate and proactive steps to decongest the nation’s overcrowded prisons and juvenile centres and to eliminate to the barest minimum, the use of prolonged pre-trial detention of suspects.

    “We want to state here that the continued detention of suspects for years in the most dehumanising and deplorable conditions, leading to their death reminds us of the Nazi’s death chambers, and we wonder if that is what our country has turned our prisons into.

    “CURE-Nigeria wishes to state that the Nigerian justice system is not a justice system at all because it is crudely and disproportionately unjust against the poor and seeks to protect the interest of the rich and the powerful. Such a system cannot be said to be just,” it said.

  • Wike is taking Rivers residents for fools, says APC

    Wike is taking Rivers residents for fools, says APC

    The main opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State has said Governor Nyesom Wike is taking the people for fools.
    In a statement yesterday in OPort Harcourt, the state capital, by its Publicity Secretary, Chief Chris Finebone, the party cautioned the governor against “dishonest campaigns”.
    It said: “No sooner Wike was sworn in as governor of Rivers State than he embarked on indiscriminate borrowing at cut-throat interest rates from Nigerian commercial banks. The borrowing spree was carried out despite the fact that APC’s governorship candidate, Dr Dakuku Peterside, was contesting the emergence of Wike in court.
    “Wike’s borrowing extravaganza assumed a frightening dimension as soon as he got a favourable Supreme Court judgment affirming his election.
    “While Wike engaged in his borrowing bonanza, the Rivers State chapter of the APC consistently raised the alarm that the governor was borrowing away and mortgaging the future of Rivers people. It cautioned him to have a rethink. However, all our advice was brushed aside by the governor.
    “On July 1, 2015, APC uncovered and raised the alarm that there was a strategic plan by Wike to obtain N100 billion loans in the few months he was expected to be in power (in case he lost at the courts…), thereby plunging the state into an abyss of debt and economic servitude.
    “APC warned that Rivers State residents had ended up in the notorious Lagos buses used in robbing unsuspecting passengers, popularly called one chance.
    “On each occasion, the governor offered future state’s monthly allocations from the Federal Government as collateral security, spread against less than 40 months of his 48-month tenure. When the governor exhausted the Federal allocation window, he was forced to use future dividend earnings from Indorama Petrochemical Company at Eleme as yet another collateral security. The governor only stopped after borrowing over N100 billion and could not find any more collateral security to obtain further loans.
    “Instead of keeping it honest with Rivers people by acknowledging that he has borrowed away the people’s future, the governor looked into the eyes of men of God that surrounded him at the Synod of Anglican Diocese of Etche on Sunday and told them what can pass as the most daring white lie of the century. He accused the Muhammadu Buhari administration of reducing his government’s monthly Federal allocation to undermine his administration.
    “We ask: Is it that Wike forgot what happened? Did he think we have all become so foolish that we have forgotten that he actually borrowed away Rivers State monthly allocations in advance?”
    Rivers APC advised Wike to be careful of where he takes his dishonest campaigns, especially in the churches.

  • ‘Wike survived five assassination attempts in 11 months’

    ‘Wike survived five assassination attempts in 11 months’

    Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Dr Austin Tam-George, has claimed that Governor Nyesom Wike survived five assassination attempts in 11 months.
    He described as callous and insensitive, Sunday’s denial by Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Ibrahim Idris that the governor’s life was at risk.
    Wike, on Sunday in Port Harcourt, the state capital, accused the IGP of posting to the state a new Police Commissioner, Zaki Ahmed, who succeeded the late Francis Odesanya on March 13, to cage and kill him (Wike).
    But the IGP described the governor’s allegation as a lie.
    Tam-George said: “It is no secret that the All Progressives Congress (APC) government declared war on the government and people of Rivers State soon after the party lost the governorship litigation at the Supreme Court in 2016. The first attempt to kill the governor was made immediately after the Supreme Court verdict.
    “Rivers governor’s Chief Security Officer was removed, without any explanation. Six police officers dismissed by the police in January, this year, played a key role in foiling the series of attempts to kill Governor Wike.
    “After several attempts to assassinate Governor Wike failed, an offer of N150 million was made to two of the six dismissed police officers, to directly kill the governor, but the officers declined the offer.
    “We call on the International Police (INTERPOL) and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) to lead an independent enquiry into why the gallant and patriotic officers were dismissed from the Nigeria Police Force, on spurious charges of misconduct.”
    The commissioner claimed that as part of preparations to seize the state during the 2019 elections, the central APC government was allegedly considering a range of measures against Wike and some key leaders in Rivers State.

  • 221 policemen watch over Wike, says IG

    221 policemen watch over Wike, says IG

    Police chief Ibrahim Idris has denied that he ordered the killing of Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike.

    The police yesterday described the report as “false” and “misleading”.

    In an interview, the governor claimed that the Inspector-General had ordered the state’s Commissioner of Police to kill him.

    In a statement yesterday, Force spokesman Jimoh Moshood, a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP), said Wike’s claim was unbecoming of a governor.

    He said that adequate measures had been put in place to ensure security of lives, including that of the governor.

    The statement noted that 221 police personnel were recently deployed in Rivers to watch over the governor.

    The statement reads: “The Nigeria Police Force wishes to categorically state that there is no iota of truth in all the allegations and false assertions in the interview granted by the Executive Governor of Rivers State, His Excellency, Mr. Nyesom Wike as regards his accusations against the IGP and the Nigeria Police Force.

    “To clear doubts from the minds of good people of Rivers State and other well-meaning Nigerians that must have read the story and set the record straight, the Force is under obligation to inform the Public on the facts of the matter.

    “There was no time either recently or in the past that the IGP gave an order or assignment to the Commissioner of Police, Rivers State or any police officer anywhere in the country to kill His Excellency, Mr. Nyesom Wike, the Executive Governor of Rivers State or directed the Commissioner of Police, Rivers State to cage the governor as alleged.”

    Condemning the report as unfounded, the statement said: “The NPF sees this statement as ‘ungubernatorial’, ‘unexecutive’”, malicious and capable of misleading and causing disaffection between the Nigeria Police Force and the good people of Rivers State whom the governor swore to lead and serve democratically without prejudice and in accordance with the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

    On the number of policemen attached to the governor, the police disclosed that 221 personnel are attached to him, a figure the IG said was more than what some commands have.

    The statement reads: “It is incumbent on the Nigeria Police Force to educate the general public and draw the attention of the governor of Rivers State to the facts and figures available for press and members of the public to verify, that there are 221 police personnel attached currently to His Excellency, Mr. Nyesom Wike, the Executive Governor of Rivers State for his personal and office protection.

    “The breakdown is as follows, one ADC (SPO), one CSO (SPO), one Unit Commander (Special Protection Unit) SPO, one Unit Commander (Counter Terrorism Unit) SPO, one Escort Commander (SPO), one Camp Commander (SPO), one Admin officer (SPO) to administer the police personnel, 54 Inspectors of Police, 136 police sergeants and 24 police corporals.”

    It further stated: “Obviously, the total number of 221 police personnel attached to the His Excellency, Mr. Nyesom Wike, the governor of Rivers State is more than the strength of some Police Area Commands formation in some states of Nigeria.

    “This is done to ensure optimum safety and protection of the executive governor of Rivers State.

    “It is also factual to state that His Excellency, Mr. Nyesom Wike, governor of Rivers State has not at any time reported or brought to the notice of the IGP any security breach or lapses from these police personnel attached to him till date.”

    On the 28,000 police personnel and the personnel of the other security and safety agencies deployed to Rivers State under the aegis of Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES), a platform created by Independent National National Electoral Commissioner (INEC) and the Nigeria Police Force, the police explained that they were deployed to ensure the security and safety of the electorate, electoral officials, election materials and other critical stakeholders before, during and after the re-run election in December, last year and not to kill innocent Nigerians.

    The statement urged the governor to consider national security and shun personal grudges against the IG.

  • 221 police personnel attached to Wike for protection

    221 police personnel attached to Wike for protection

    Two hundred and twenty one police personnel are attached to the River State Governor, Nyesom Wike for his personal and office protection.

    The Police Force Headquarters stated this in a statement in Abuja on Sunday by the Spokesman, CSP Jimoh Moshood while responding to a media report that Wike alleged that the Inspector General of Police, (IGP), Ibrahim Idris had ordered that he be killed.

    While denying the governor’s allegation as ungubernatorial, unexecutive, malicious, Moshood said the 221 personnel attached to Wike is more than what some Police Command have.

    “It is incumbent on the Nigeria Police Force to educate the general public and draw the attention of the Governor of Rivers State to the facts and figures available for Press and members of the public to verify, that there are 221 Police Personnel attached currently to His Excellency, Mr. Nyesom Wike, the Executive Governor of Rivers State for his Personal and office protection.

    “The breakdown is as follows, one ADC (SPO), one CSO (SPO), one Unit Commander (Special Protection Unit) SPO, one Unit Commander (Counter Terrorism Unit) SPO, one Escort Commander (SPO), one Camp Commander (SPO), one Admin officer (SPO) to administer the Police Personnel, 54 Inspectors of Police, 136 Police Sergeants and 24 Police Corporals.”
    The statement further reads: “Obviously, the total number of 221 Police Personnel attached to the His Excellency, Mr. Nyesom Wike, the Governor of Rivers State is more than the strength of some Police Area Commands formation in some States of Nigeria.

    “This is done to ensure optimum safety and protection of the Executive Governor of Rivers State.

    “It is also factual to state that His Excellency, Mr. Nyesom Wike, Governor of Rivers State has not at any time reported or brought to the notice of the Inspector General of Police any security breach or lapses from these Police personnel attached to him till date.”

    On the 28,000 Police Personnel and the Personnel of the other Security and Safety agencies deployed to Rivers State under the aegis of Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES), a platform created by INEC and the Nigeria Police Force, the police explained that they were deployed in order to ensure the security and safety of the electorates, electoral officials, election materials and other critical stakeholders before, during and after the re-run election held in December, 2016 and not to kill innocent Nigerians.

    The police also urged the governor to put consideration national security and shun any personal grudges he has against the IG.

    “His Excellency, should put into cognizance National Security and that of the people of Rivers State as against any personal, political or group interest, and resist the use of personal grudges, grouse and sentiment to attack the hard earned personality of the Inspector-General of Police to cast aspersion on the Statutory roles of the Force in ensuring utmost protection of life and property of all Nigerians.

    Also, contrary to claims that nine Commissioners of Police have served in Rivers State in the last two years, the police said: “the record is there for everyone to check only three Commissioners of Police have served in Rivers State since the inception of the administration of the Inspector General of Police.”

    “The first Commissioner of Police was redeployed to a higher duty post when he was promoted to the rank of a Deputy Inspector General of Police, while the second died after a brief illness on admission at an Indian Hospital; the third is the current Commissioner of Police in Rivers State.”