Rivers governor Nyesome Wike on Tuesday, told President Muhammadu Buhari that he could not abdicate his responsibility of securing the lives and property of Nigerians to state governors.
Recall that Buhari, who featured in an interview on Arise TV last week, blamed state governors for the spate of insecurity in their states.
However, Wike at the commissioning of the 21 kilometres Odufor-Akpoku-Umuoye road in Etche local government area of the state, said the constitution gives the president, as the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces, powers to appoint Service Chiefs, Inspector General of Police and other heads of security agencies and therefore cannot abdicate his responsibility to governors.
“Mr President, you are the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
“You appoint Inspector General of Police (IG); you appoint the Chief of Army Staff, Chief of Naval Staff, Director General of Department of State Service (DSS), 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 are in charge of. You must also be in charge of other things, including security.
“Who signed Order 10? Is it the governors? It is not when things are going bad concerning security, and you say you are not in charge, and it becomes governors’ responsibility,” Wike said.
He therefore urged the All Progressives Congress, APC, led government to own up that it has failed the Nigerian people in the area of security.
