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.
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.”
Wike told the delegates that he was presenting himself to them to be given the presidential ticket to fly the party’s flag in the 2023 election because he was prepared to end the many troubles facing Nigeria.
He amented incidences of bomb blast in parts of the country and on railway tracks.
Taraba Governor, Darius Ishaku harped the need for creation of state police.
He lamented the state of insecurity in Nigeria and expressed optimism that if PDP returned to power in 2023, the party would restore the lost glory of the country.
He said: “He (Wike) speaks the truth, he fears nobody, and he is a workaholic. You have seen how he has turned Rivers State to a working site. We welcome him. We know what he has said, if God permits he will do it.
“Nigeria is yearning for leadership. He has said it, hunger doesn’t east, south or west. Kidnapping doesn’t know south, east or west. Security is security. If there is no security there is no economy. If there is no economy, the country is not existing.”
On his part, former Gombe Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo described Wike as a faithful party man with requisite experience to lead Nigeria.
He said: “He is a true party man. Wike joined the party in 1998 and he is still in the party. He has never left even when the going was tough.
“When great people ran away, Wike stayed. He did not only stay, because he did not have anywhere to go, he contributed in building the party, in making the party stable and ensuring that the party continue as a growing concern.
“I have been to Rivers State while I was a governor, and have also been to Rivers State while I left as a governor. This is a man that has performed extremely very well. In education, health, social interaction of people and most importantly in security. In the area of security which is our major problem in Nigeria today, Wike has stabilise the Niger Delta today, particularly his own state of Rivers.
“You can remember how Rivers was eight years ago and you see how Rivers has become one of the most visited states in Nigeria today.
“Companies are coming back, revenues have double, you know this is important in all the states, when you lost revenue because people are leaving. People have come back, investments have come back, development is in force.”