For the second time in a week, Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Nigeria’s Rivers
state has called on the police authorities to transfer the state commissioner,
Mbu Joseph Mbu, saying he has been busy attending political meetings rather
than facing his duty of protecting citizens.
Amaechi made the fresh call as criminal activities escalated in the state,
the most recent being the kidnap of three female corps members, with the
abductors now demanding a ransom of N20million.
Amaechi spoke today when he received the chairman of the National Youth
Service Corps Governing Board, Chief Gordon Bozimo. The latter had in his
speech raised concerns on the recent kidnap of the corps members and other
atrocities meted on corps members posted to the state.
“Three days ago, three of our corpers were kidnapped. I feel very worried
because, if Port Harcourt is not safe, I don’t know where people will run to.
So, we are imploring Your Excellency, to look at the problems critically and
fashion out what we can do to nip the problem in the bud, if not, corpers may
begin to avoid Rivers State the way they did to Borno, Yobe and other trouble
ridden states in the North. I have the intention of discussing it with the
Inspector General of Police when I get to Abuja”, Bozimo said.
Amaechi said the call for Mbu’s transfer became necessary because the
commissioner has derailed from his legitimate function of protecting lives and
property in the state.
“We used to have a wonderful security system and Commissioners of Police who
understood their functions and knew what to do. But, when the Police in Abuja,
suddenly withdrew the predecessor of this present Commissioner of Police and
posted the person called Mbu Joseph Mbu, nothing has been working again. Mbu
has been sitting with politicians for political reasons and the security system
is down and out.
“Since he came, we have never had peace. We have held Security Council
meeting two or three times. But before Mbu came, we used to hold security
meetings two or three times every month. We know where our Corpers are and we
know the level of security arrangement we put in place to protect them. We also
send the SSS to watch over them. We have equipment that monitors what happens
where. The only way they will not kidnap Corps member is to send Joseph Mbu
back to where he came from and post us a Commissioner of Police that will serve
the interest of this state”, Amaechi said.
The State Chief Executive also tasks members of the NYSC Board to unravel
the issues surrounding the kidnap of the 3 Corpers to the federal government
and the implications it would have on the state, pointing out that his
administration will soon stop funding the police for its inability to deliver
and protect the lives and property of citizens.
“I don’t want a Commissioner of Police that will work for me; I want a
Commissioner of Police that will work for the interest of the state that will
work for Rivers people. So, it is not only me that you should complain to, talk
to Inspector-General of Police and those who transferred the Commissioner of
Police that was working in the interest of Rivers people. Port Harcourt is
becoming unsafe, and more NYSC members may be kidnapped, except they remove
Joseph Mbu. It will worsen when we (the state government) stop funding the
Police, because we will soon stop funding them.”
Amaechi warned that Mbu’s continued stay in the state would jeopardize the
conducive business climate of Port Harcourt and the fast growing economy of the
State.
“The Commissioner of Police, Mbu Joseph Mbu is a politician, because he attends
political meetings with those who brought him to our state and there is no way
you can stop that. The only way you can stop that is to ask the politicians in
Abuja to withdraw their Commissioner of Police and allow us to secure Rivers
State. My fear is that his stay in Rivers State is intended to kill the
conducive business climate in Port Harcourt and the fast growing economy of our
state”
Governor Amaechi emphasized that a new Commissioner of Police should be
posted to the state as soon as possible to take over from Joseph Mbu who is
taking laws into his hands, showing disrespect, insubordination to constituted
authority, arrogance and gross misconduct to the Rivers State Government and
people.
“The federal government should post a new Commissioner of Police. I have no
control over the present Commissioner of Police Mbu, even though the
constitution says so. He called a Press Conference, where he said, he does not
report to the governor of the State, who is the Chief Security Officer of the
State. So, how do I (Amaechi) protect our citizens who I swore to protect?,”
Amaechi asked.
Amaechi had threatened to lead a public protest against the rising
insecurity in the state since Mbu was posted to the state and draw the
attention of the federal Government on the need to redeploy Mbu.
Chief Bozimo also said that the purpose of the visit to Rivers State was in
confirmation of Governor Amaechi’s commitment to the promotion of the NYSC
programme and to also have a firsthand knowledge of how the orientation camp
looks like in the state.
“Because, our mandate is to ensure there is a paradigm shift, the way it is
done in the NYSC programme, we are aware that Rivers State Government in
particular has been very generous to the NYSC in the state. We are aware of the
extra-allowances you pay to corpers. Infact, as I speak, there is serious
refurbishment going on in the camp, and we are very much elated in that regard.
The sum total is that, we are here to thank you for all the assistance you have
been giving to the Board”, Chief Bozimo said.
