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Politicisation of insecurity counterproductive, Wike warns

By Kelvin Ebiri, Port Harcourt
07 March 2020   |   4:09 am
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has warned that the politicisation of insecurity was counterproductive and antithetical to national development, saying Nigerians must work together to defeat the current security challenges facing the country.

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has warned that the politicisation of insecurity was counterproductive and antithetical to national development, saying Nigerians must work together to defeat the current security challenges facing the country.

Wike also took a swipe at the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, for claiming that Rivers State had been denied federal projects because of kidnapping. 

The governor spoke at the Government House, Port Harcourt, during a condolence visit to him by the Senate Minority Caucus led by Senate Minority Leader, Senator Enyinaya Abaribe

Wike said that all Nigerians must work together to defeat insecurity. He said Nigerians must stop politicisation of insecurity because it would hurt national development.

“We need to work together to fight insecurity.  It doesn’t matter the party that you belong to; let’s work together to save this country. If you are a human being, you cannot say that you enjoy the slaughtering of people. Where are we heading?

“Why should anyone play politics with the lives of people? I don’t need to be in your party for you to protect me.  We are brothers and we are all from one country,” he said. 

Wike decried the alleged exclusion of Rivers State from the execution of projects by the Federal Government. According to him, the exclusion of the state from Federal Government projects raises very critical questions. 

“Are we really part of this country? Is Rivers State part of this country? They have taken away majority of the prominent positions occupied by our sons and daughters in the Federal Government. Rivers State is part of this country.  We did not commit any offence to warrant the total exclusion from federal projects under this dispensation,” he said. He lauded the Senate Minority Caucus for fighting on the side of the people.

“At the end of the day, everybody must present his report card. Everybody has account to give. And this account must be given individually. Don’t allow yourself to be intimidated. Always do what is right, so that tomorrow you can meet your creator with a clear conscience that you have done what is right. Do not relent. You should continue to speak the truth.  You may be in the minority; it does not matter. But you will not be in minority before God. I assure you that we of your stock will never abandon you. We will support you to do your work as you will be vindicated,” he added.

Senate Minority Leader, Abaribe, said the present administration has failed the people of Nigeria.  According to him, Nigeria was in dire need to move in a different direction from where it was headed presently. 

“We need you to support us in our effort to make every Nigerian feel the impact of good governance. We understand the difficulty every Nigerian is feeling today. We understand the pains most Nigerians are going through today. 

“We understand that those who came on the platform of change have ended up even being worse than those that they came to change. The disappointment, the disillusionment that most Nigerians are feeling today, is our responsibility to bring to the fore in our public debate,” he noted.

Abaribe said democracy was difficult for some people because they were autocratic in nature, adding:
“We have been keeping up with our ideals. Democracy is difficult for some people to really fathom.  I think that is why the government at the centre is finding it really difficult. You cannot have democracy without having democrats.  Only democrats can give you democracy.  Autocrats can never give you democracy. 

“What autocrats want at every time is to say that their word is law. We believe in interaction and the contestation of ideas in the public space. That is what will lead us to a better Nigeria for everyone. “We have been trying to steer the ship of state to the right direction when we get communications from the Presidency and it has been very difficult,” he said. 

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