Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike has blasted President Muhammadu Buhari for abandoning his constitutional responsibility of securing Nigerians for governors.
Grassroots reported last week when President Buhari said he told two south-west governors, who came to meet him in Abuja, to return to their states and tackle the security challenges their people are facing.
Reacting to this claim, Wike stated that Buhari cannot shift the responsibility of securing Nigerians to governors when he is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces.
In a statement issued by Kelvin Ebiri, his spokesman, the governor stated that the Buhari administration lacks the strategy to restore peace across the country.
“Mr President, you’re the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. You appoint Inspector General of Police (IG), you appoint the Chief of Army Staff, Chief of Naval Staff, the Commissioner of Police (CP), Director of Department of State Service (DSS) and other heads of security. Which one do we appoint? How can people appointed by Mr. President be under me?” Wike asked.
“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.
“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 PDP, you’ll never find me there.”