Amaechi, Wike trade blame over insecurity in Rivers

Nyesom Wike, governor of Rivers, and his predecessor, Rotimi Amaechi, have clashed over the growing insecurity in the state.

Speaking on Sunday, Amaechi, minister of transportation, said the insecurity in Rivers is caused by the high unemployment rate in the state.

Amaechi said he created jobs while he was governor but most of the initiatives were abandoned by the present administration.

“Rivers state is in danger, completely. A state where properties are collected and somebody is busy building everywhere and nobody is talking,” Amaechi said.

“When I was governor, God knows, I did my best. I did not build only roads, I built schools. I did not build only roads, I built electricity. I built farms. I created employment. Rivers State was not among the highest unemployed community in Nigeria.

“I felt that you employed me. I was not your master; I was your servant. I was not a contractor. I paid contractors so that they can pay their workers and the money will circulate.

“The reason why crime is high in Rivers State is that unemployment is very high.”

In response, Wike said Amaechi’s comments infer that President Muhammadu Buhari has failed, given that he is constitutionally charged with the overall security of the country.

Kelvin Ebiri, special assistant on media to the governor, quoted Wike as saying: “Is unemployment fueling insecurity in Kaduna, Plateau, Borno, Yobe, Ondo, Ebony, Imo, Niger States governed by the All Progressives Congress (APC)?

“Is he (Amaechi) trying to indict his boss, President Muhammad Buhari, who is the Commander in Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and who is constitutionally saddled with the responsibility to provide security for Nigerians?

“It is a well-known fact that Amaechi is the one who appoints every Commissioner of Police that has been posted to Rivers State since 2015. So, if there is any security failure, he is to blame.

“Perhaps, the minister is happy that members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) are killing innocent policemen , who were protecting lives and property. Is Amaechi happy that the weapons of these slain security personnel were carted away by the hoodlums?”

The governor added that Amaechi has lost focus and should concentrate on issues troubling agencies under his ministry.