The Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, has told President Muhammadu Buhari to stop shifting security responsibilities to State Governors.
The Governor, who spoke in a statement on Wednesday by his Media Aide, Kelvin Ebirim said it is unconstitutional for Buhari to shift his constitutional responsibility of securing lives and property of Nigerians to state governors.
Wike, who spoke at the inauguration of the 21km Odufor-Akpoku-Umuoye Road in Etche Local Government Area of the state on Tuesday, said such a position suggested that the All Progressives Congress-led Federal Government lacked strategies on how to tackle insecurity in the country.
He said: “Mr President, you are the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“You appoint the Chief of Army Staff, Chief of Naval Staff, the Commissioners of Police, the Director of Department of State Services and other heads of security.
“Which one do we appoint?
“How can people appointed by Mr. President be under me?
“It is not only to borrow money for Nigeria that you’re in charge.
“You must, also, be in charge of other things including security.
“Who signed Order 10?
“Is it the governors?
“It is not when things are going bad concerning security, and you say you’re not in charge, and it becomes governors’ responsibility.”
Wike advised the APC-led Federal Government to agree that it could no longer fulfil promises made to Nigerians.
The governor said Nigerians should begin to compare the performances of the Peoples Democratic Party governors with their APC counterparts.
He said: “Mr. President was short of calling names of those governors who run to Aso Rock when they are supposed to stay in their states to see the needs of their states and people.
“Mr. President should have come out openly and said, ‘my APC governors, stop worrying me. Go back to your states and do your work.’
“On that, I support him.
“Thank God, Mr. President knows that I am not one of those that go to visit him over one problem or the other.
“I, as the governor of Rivers under the PDP, you’ll never find me there.”
Former President of the Senate, David Mark, who performed the inauguration of the road, noted the excitement on the faces of residents who were directly impacted by the project.
Mark said: “I told him I’ll be here because he loves his people.
“Politics and democracy are not about enriching one or two persons within a community.
“The Odufor-Akpoku-Umuoye Road is project that will outlive everybody in this place.
“The legacy you’re leaving behind, Rivers people will not forget you.
“They will defend you, they’ll protect you and they will stand by you always.”