~~Samuel Emeka.
Following the recent security questions in Rivers state, one factor has remain glaring in the minds of the people and that is who is politicizing security of Rivers state. The opposition to the governor are blaming Governor Wike while the governor’s camp is blaming the APC federal government. From the opposition’s perspective Governor Wike is the chief security officer of the and holds security meetings so therefore should solve the insecurity in the state.
But the real question is how do you arrest the insecurity in the state when all the security agencies are controlled by the federal government and directives from the federal government. Appointments and posting are done at the federal level so how does a state governor who is not in the same party with Mr president controls them. In Rivers state, the governor has worked with over three commissioners of police in the less than a year they are changed whenever Abuja discovered that the working in tandem with the governor. My school of thought has always advocate for state police and decentralization of power or a confederal system as the only panacea for insecurity in Nigeria. They Inspector General of police, Army chiefs and all other security outfits pays more allegiance to the president that appoint rather than the state governors because he who blows the pipe detects the tunne. Governor Wike have bought patrol vans for the security agents and also promised mouth watering incentives but it didn’t change much. The attempt by the police hierarchy to withdraw a murder charge on an APC stalwart is a clear cut indication on where their loyalty lies. Even friends and cabinet members of the president are sponsoring crime in the state just to undermine the efforts of the governor and the presidency are shielding them. In such a scenario, who do you blame?