Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike has frowned at President Muhammadu Buhari’s abdication of his constitutional responsibility of securing the lives and property of Nigerians, by pushing it to state governors.
According to Wike, it was unconstitutional for the President to shift his responsibility to state governors.
The governor, was qouted in a statement by his media aide, Kelvin Ebiri, as saying these on Tuesday during the commissioning of the 21 kilometres Odufor-Akpoku-Umuoye Road in Etche Local Government Area of the State, adding that the President is the Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces and cannot declare that governors are in charge of security in their respective states.
Wike also said the position of the President suggests that the All Progressives Congress-led federal government has lost grip of strategy on how to tackle the troubling security issues and make the country safe for Nigerians.
He said: “Mr. President, you are the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. You appoint Inspector-General of Police, you appoint the Chief of Army Staff, Chief of Naval Staff, the Commissioner of Police, Director of Department of State Service, 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?” he asked.
Governor Wike further advised the APC-led federal government to own up that it can no longer fulfill promises made to Nigerians and also lead the country out of its present predicament, adding that when there is a failure, what makes leadership respectable is that such leader is able to accept its weakness publicly.
The governor pointed out that it was time Nigerians begin to compare the performances of PDP and APC governors in office.
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 PDP, you’ll never find me there,”
