A Civil Rights Activist, Osuagwu Ugochukwu, has stated that Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, must stop his war against the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 6 Division, Nigerian Army, Maj.-Gen. Jamil Sarham, in order not to overheat the polity.
Ugochukwu, who is also an Attorney to the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, yesterday in an online statement, described Maj.-Gen. Sarham, who is also the Land Component Commander of Operation Delta Safe, as a man of integrity and a professional military officer.
The civil rights activist asked Wike to desist from tarnishing the reputation of the GOC, 6 division, who assumed duty on August 6 2018, and by extension the Nigerian army.
He said: “For a military officer to be appointed as GOC in Nigeria, such an officer must be a man of integrity. The latest accusations by Wike is another scheme to rubbish the image of the Nigerian Army.
“It is ridiculous that Rivers governor claimed that troops were sent by Maj.-Gen. Sarham to assassinate him. Wike decided to add the allegation of oil bunkering against the GOC.”
Ugochukwu also admonished Wike to give peace a chance, in order not to scare investors from the state.
Rivers governor, on May 15, 2019, during a courtesy visit by the Commander of Joint Task Force, Operation Delta Safe, Rear Admiral Akinjide Akinrinade, at the Government House, Port Harcourt, berated the GOC for allegedly running an illegal oil bunkering squad for the purpose of financing his quest to be appointed as the Chief of Army Staff.
Wike declared that any attempt to appoint the GOC of 6 division as the chief of army staff would spell doom for the nation’s failing security architecture.
Rivers governor said: “The GOC is doing illegal bunkering, which he is using to finance his quest to emerge as the country’s Chief of Army Staff. He has his own team that is making money for him, through oil bunkering.”
REad also: Wike to GOC: PDP defeated you and your party
Wike also accused the GOC of 6 division of compromising security in Rivers state, through alleged illegal actions.
He said: “We will have a security meeting and he will release the details to criminals. And the Chief of Army Staff will leave the man here, because he is playing their role.
“How will security of the state be with such a man as the GOC? He will compromise when fighting to reduce crime. They sent us a GOC who destroyed the security architecture of the state.”
Rivers governor wondered what the Joint Task Force, Operation Delta Safe would do when they encountered the illegal oil bunkering team of the GOC, 6 division, claiming that Rivers people stopped the GOC and his “accomplices” from imposing a governor on the state during the last general elections.
He said: “A man came to plot coup. The people resisted him for plotting a coup. You want to impose a party that has no candidate for National Assembly and State Assembly elections on the people. How will such a party win the governorship election? A party that nobody has seen their posters. Rivers people said no.
“He (GOC) has result sheets. Let him bring the result sheets to the tribunal. The army now has result sheets. That is now part of their mandate.”
Wike assured the commander of Joint Task Force, Operation Delta Safe that the Rivers government would support the operations to ensure that they adequately defend the Niger Delta, especially Rivers State.
He said: “Anybody who wants to help us fight crime, I will support. I will never support those involved in illegal refineries.”
The GOC, through 6 Division’s Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, Col. Aminu Iliyasu, asked Wike to take the most civilised way of putting up a petition to the relevant authorities, to make a point.
Maj.-Gen. Sarham revealed that Wike decided to declare war against him for rejecting his (Wike’s) billions of naira to compromise the February 23 and March 9, 2019 general elections in Rivers.
He also described as bizarre and spurious, the allegations by Wike that he was involved in illegal bunkering and leaking the proceedings of the State Security Council meetings to criminals in Rivers state, among others.
The GOC said: “Wike’s resentment against me is based on my choice of professionalism and integrity over the billions of naira offered me by the Rivers State Governor to compromise the 2019 general elections. My refusal to be bought over and the rejection of the hefty offer is the genesis of Wike’s hatred and vociferous criticisms of me.
“Although, the Nigerian Army does not wish to take issues with the Rivers State Governor, yet it is important to strongly state that the allegations are false and figment of Governor Wike’s imagination. It is a deliberate effort to tarnish the towering image of the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, and the GOC, 6 Division, Nigerian Army.
“On the mischievous accusation against Maj.-Gen. Sarham of leaking proceedings of State Security Council meetings to criminals in Rivers State, Mr. Wike knows well that Maj.-Gen. Sarham is not a member of the Rivers State Security Council, neither has he ever approached the gates of Rivers State Government House, since his assumption of office as the GOC, 6 Division. Mr. Wike only came face to face with Maj.-Gen. Sarham on the 15th of January, 2019, during the 2019 Armed Forces Remembrance Day parade at Isaac Boro Park, Port Harcourt.”
Maj.-Gen. Sarham also challenged Wike to provide the public with any evidence to prove the allegations that he levelled against him, adding that no amount of blackmail and area-boy gerrymandering would affect his resolve and commitment to discharge his roles professionally and in line with the vision of the chief of army staff.
Leave a Reply