Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has declared that Nigeria cannot
have free, fair and credible elections, if the Police refuse to change
their operational mentality.
He said that the current Inspector-General of Police believes that he
can only retain his office when he rigs for the governing party.
Speaking on Tuesday at the Government House, Port Harcourt when he
granted audience to the Rivers State Coordinator of the National Youth
Service Corps, NYSC, Governor Wike also berated the NYSC for
deliberately refusing to make public the mass abductions of corps members
by the Police and Security agencies during the December 10, 2016 rerun
elections in the state.
He said: “Nigeria cannot conduct free and fair elections, if Police do not
change their attitude.
“With the present Inspector-General of Police, we cannot have free and
fair elections. The IGP believes that he can only retain his position, if
he rigs elections and help to deliver a particular party”.
The governor said that Rivers people now know the modus operandi of the
Police and other security agencies, pointing out that the rigging that
took place on December 10, 2016 as facilitated by the Police would never
happen again.
He regretted that the Nigerian Police have condescended to the abysmal
level of plotting blackmail schemes against Rivers State and her people.
He said Rivers State has been peaceful since elections are over. He noted
that the conflicts during elections are deliberately generated by the
police to create an atmosphere for rigging.
Commenting on the welfare of the NYSC, Governor Wike announced that the
State will construct a new State Secretariat for the Scheme at Greater
Port Harcourt; which will be named after Late Corps Member, Okonta Dumebi.
The governor directed the Secretary to the Rivers State Government to
liaise with the State Coordinator of NYSC to work out an improved regime
of allowances for Corps members to be implemented by his
administration.
He also announced the donation of a bus to NYSC Rivers State. He said
that the administration will expand facilities at the NYSC Permanent
Orientation at Tai LGA.
Earlier, the Rivers State Coordinator of the NYSC, Omotayo Adewoye
appreciated the governor’s support for the scheme.
He said that the governor as a performer has impacted positively on
the activities of the NYSC