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Tony John, Port Harcourt
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has declared that the frequent changes of service commanders in the state, makes it difficult to plan for the improvement of security of lives and property.
Wike also expressed surprise that the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 6 Division of the Nigerian Army, who allegedly played negative roles during the last general election, has been left in the state, despite the mass transfer of officers by the Army high command.
Speaking during a courtesy visit by the new Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Mustapha Dandaura, the governor assured that he would continue to support security agencies to fight crime in the state.
“The frequent changes of commissioners of police makes it difficult for security planning.
“I was reading where they transferred GOCs and other senior army officers, but left this GOC because he did their bidding. You are compensating crime and that is not good for the system.
“There is no crime that is bigger than election rigging, but that man has been left here.
“Those, who are involved in election rigging and oil bunkering are left here because they did their bidding,” he said.
Governor Wike said the state government has concluded plans to launch a new comprehensive security architecture, which will promote security across the state.
Ahead of the launch of the new security architecture, he said his administration recently donated 50 patrol vans to the police.
Other security services equally got security vans from the government.
The governor added that the administration procured gunboats for the Nigerian Navy, while modern security communication centres have been established in all 23 local government areas of the state.
“I will support any effort that is geared towards reducing crime to the barest minimum across the state.
“We are about to launch the new security architecture for the state.To this end, we have established communication centres in all the 23 local government areas of the state,” he said.
He urged the new police commissioner to be professional in the discharge of his duties, because it would be unwise to be involved in partisan politics.
“Even if you are from the president’s family, we will work with you to fight crime. If you decide to play politics, then, we will treat you as a politician.
“The only commissioner of police that did not play politics is the immediate past commissioner of police,” he said.
The governor urged the commissioner to rejig the police structure in the state for optimal results.
Dandaura thanked the governor for his financial and logistical support to all the security agencies in the state.
He particularly commended Wike for the recent donation of 50 patrol vans to the command.
The police boss assured the governor that he would discharge his duties professionally, saying he will not be involved in any form of politics.
The commissioner urged sister security agencies to work with the police to improve the security situation of the state.
“I am here to fight crime and insecurity to a standstill. I will give the governor the cooperation to fight crime,” he said.
