Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike has expressed surprise that despite the frequent changes of Service Commanders in the state, the General Officer Commanding (GOC), 6 Division of the Nigerian Army, Major General Jamil Sarham has not been removed.

He said that the frequent changes makes it difficult to plan for the improvement of security of lives and property in the state. 

Wike has been at loggerheads with the GOC, who he accused of playing “very negative roles during the last general elections”.

But Gen. Sarham has severally countered that the Governor tried to bribe him to compromise the elections in his favour.

The Rivers State Chief Executive wondered why Sarham was been left in the state, despite  the mass transfer of officers by the Army High Command. 

He spoke during a courtesy visit by the new Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Mustapha Dandaura.

He assured that he will continue to support  security agencies to fight crime in the state.

He said: “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”.

Security across Rivers State has drastically deteriorated under Wike’s watch with the state recording daily occurrences of various crimes. These have contributed to reduce life expectancy across the state.

Curiously, Wike, who upon assuming office as Governor in 2015 dismantled the security architecture put in place by his predecessor, said his administration plans to launch a new comprehensive security architecture, which will promote security across the state. 

He said ahead of the launch of the new security architecture, his administration recently donated 50 Patrol Vans  to the Police, while other security services also received security vans from the Rivers State Government. 

The Governor added that the administration procured gunboats for the Nigerian Navy, while modern security Communication Centres have been established in all the 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 Rivers State Police Commissioner  to be professional in the discharge of his duties, because  it will 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 new Commissioner of Police to rejig the police structure in the state for optimal results. 

Earlier, the new Commissioner of Police, Mustapha Dandaura thanked Wike for his financial and logistical support to security agencies in the state, which includes the recent donation of 50 patrol Vans to the State Police Command. 

He assured the Governor that he will discharge his duties professionally, saying that he will  not be involved in any form of politics.

Dandaura 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.

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike (m), Deputy Governor Ipalibo Harry Banigo (r) Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Mustapha Dandaura after a Courtesy Visit to the Government House Port Harcourt by the Police Commissioner on Wednesday. 

Picture 1: Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike and Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Mustapha Dandaura after a Courtesy Visit to the Government House Port Harcourt by the Police Commissioner on Wednesday.