Home OPINION COMMENTARY Who Scares Governor Wike? By Ibrahim Modibbo

Who Scares Governor Wike? By Ibrahim Modibbo

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Again, last week, Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State was in the news for a very wrong reason. He threatened to expel senior police officers whom he perceives as being compromised; by whom? He is yet to decipher.
In a traditional, if not characteristically boisterous and highly garrulous manner, Wike, the Emperor of “water front”, is now tired of running away from his shadow as he hides behind his finger to foul where there is none.
Nigerians are under no illusion as to the enormity of the task of providing security to lives and property as well the need to re-awaken the consciousness of its citizenry on the general dangers associated with crime and criminality and the need to find lasting solution the protracted problems of kidnappings, cultism, armed robberies and terrorism.
Barely two weeks or so after assuming the mantle of leadership in Louis Edet House, the Acting Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, left no one in doubt of his mission and vision of changing the face and character of the Nigeria Police in conformity with the current democratic tempo.
Idris is carefully set to create history by making swift changes at the Force Headquarters as well as the entire country with a view to putting square pegs in their right holes so as to use highly resourceful and result-oriented officers that could deliver under the change mantra of the Buhari administration.
It could be recalled that when President Muhammadu Buhari came on board, he promised to fight corruption, improve the economy, provide optimum security, create job opportunities and provide power and other social infrastructure to Nigerians. The government also promise to fight against regime tyranny, despotic governance and authoritarian mindset of those vested with democratic power in Nigeria. He said it would no longer be business as usual.
As the Acting Inspector-General of police settles down to make necessary changes to reflect the mood of Nigerians for a secured country, it became imperative to transfer police officers with clinical record of service in fighting corruption and general insecurity to different states of the federation. To key into the Buhari agenda for maximum security, the police boss in close collaboration with the police service commission has the historical duty to turn challenges to opportunities for the common good of our people. Just like Doctors without borders, the Nigeria police is an organization that is borderless and cover every part of Nigeria and by the constitutional provisions of the federal Republic of Nigeria, Governor has the right to challenge routine postings of the police to any state of the federation. Many Nigerians are not happy as Governor Wike tries to compromise the newly appointed IG by warning him not to post some unnamed police officers to Rivers State.
The Governor was quoted in the media as declaring some recently posted police officers whom he does not like their faces “Personae non-grata” to Rivers State with a threat to “expose compromised police officers reposted to the state, if the Inspector-General of Police fails to transfer them out of the state”. Every new administration comes along with different changes and the acting I.G, Idris, should not succumb to intimidation, threats and blackmail from a man with such historical antecedence as Wike.
I want to believe that Governor Wike must have compromised some police officers that were posted out of the state and as the Independent National Electoral Commission fixes the national elections in Rivers towards the end of this month, the Governor is becoming increasingly apprehensive and jittery on the assumption of probably not getting the “traditional” support of the police.
Since his assumption of office as Governor, Rivers State, had never known peace as violence arising from cultism, kidnapping, armed robberies and organize terror took the centre-stage. At a point, the state became lawless as human heads became shields and trophies of democratic conquest. People were mercilessly killed and beheaded by political thugs to the delight of an Emperor as law and order could not be secured.
Wike is afraid of his shadow as he is noted for notoriety of tackling his real and imaginary enemies with hard tackles. As a short-sighted leader with short term plans in the art of governance, the Governor has all the attributes of loose cannon with full potentials of exploding on dynamite.
The question on the lips of many is that, now that things are changing, who scares Wike? Why the desperation to have police of his choice instead of neutral officers with record of performance to tame lawlessness and general insecurity? Why must he dictate to the acting I.G which officer to be posted and those that are not welcome? I honestly think that Governor Wike should leave the police alone to perform its duties without interference.
. Modibbo, an Abuja-based journalist, writes from Bendel Street, Garki, Abuja. [myad]

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