Rivers Governor Nyesom Wike has told delegates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Taraba State that if he secures the party’s ticket and wins the election, he will take the war to bandits.
He said: “The one problem that our PDP government(under me if elected) must solve is to bring down the level of insecurity in this country otherwise there is no way the economy can grow.
“When bandits hear my name they will run because I will take the war to them. I will be the Commander- in-Chief in action.
“I’ll be commanding in projects, in security, in agriculture and the economy together with the armed forces. I’ll be commanding every aspects of life that will make Nigerians happy. This is because I have the capacity to solve the problems of Nigeria.”
Wike in a statement by his Special Assistant, Media, Kelvin Ebiri, also said the establishment of state police would be one enduring approach to addressing the festering insecurity in Nigeria.
The Governor, while wooing delegates of PDP in Taraba State in Jalingo on Thursday, dismissed the argument against the need for state police.
He said: “The Federal Government, you cannot stop this insecurity if you don’t have state police. You must have state police, there is no two ways about it.
“Having a state police does not mean you will not have a federal police. All over the federal system, even councils have their own police so that you employ people who know the environment.
“You cannot take a stranger to go to Mabila, it will take him years to understand that place. You can’t take a stranger and go to Donga or Chanchangi. So, you need people who know the environment so they will be able to take care of the place.
“If federal offences are committed, the federal police should handle them. If they are state offences, the state police should handle. So one key thing to stop this insecurity in Nigeria is to have state police.”
The Rivers governor said those opposing state police often argued that if allowed, governors would use it against their opponents.
He said: “The question is will the governors be in office permanently? So, that argument is neither here or there. If this party called APC government loves Nigeria and committed to Nigeria, one project that they would have given to Nigeria is the creation of State police.”
