Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has described the Federal Government as a failure.
Wike said the President Muhammadu Buhari administration should admit it has failed in the security of lives and property in Nigeria.
The Governor was reacting to the massacre of Benue state people by Fulani herdsmen.
He was in the state to commensurate with the government and people of the state over the death of over 100 persons killed by the herdsmen.
Wike also faulted the statement by the Police spokesman who called the Benue Governor, Samuel Ortom ‘a drowning man’.
He described the statement as an “insult on person elected by people.”
“I have instructed the Governors Forum to react to that statement made by the Force spokesperson.
“It’s an insult that persons elected by their people would be referred to as ‘drowning.’
“It’s only in this our democracy that you can hear that kind of statement.”
“The problem I have is that when we see issues that affect the nation, we play party politics with them. We should go beyond party politics. It doesn’t matter whether the governor is a PDP governor or APC governor.”
Benue killings
Wike encouraged Benue residents to start defending themselves and to also sleep with one eye closed.
The Governor said he had foreseen the problems facing the country, which is why he has been “shouting out about the impunity of the present administration.”
“I was shouting this, but nobody believed it. Now it is in Benue…
“What I’m saying is that when a robber comes to your house and knocks at your door and you say ‘God help me,’you must help yourself first.
“They have inflicted serious injury on Benue, many have been turned into orphans, others into widows.
“Let the leaders admit their failure. Tell Mr. President that what is going on in this county is not acceptable.
You know everybody would want to be the favourite child to Mr. President; but for me, I always speak the truth. My salvation will come from God and not from man”, Wike said.
In response, Ortom thanked Wike and the people of Rivers State for the show of friendship.
He also stressed that the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris should resign for allegedly “failing in his responsibilities to arrest those already identified as behind the Benue attacks.”
The IGP had urged the Benue government to suspend its anti-grazing which, according to him, is the cause of the Fulani herdsmen crisis in the state.
But Ortom, who insisted that there is no going back on the law, accused the police boss of incompetence.
The Governor alleged that Ibrahim has ignored calls by the Federal Government to have the killer-herdsmen in the state arrested.
On January 11, 2018, the Benue government held a mass burial for 73 people killed by the herdsmen in the state.
The herdsmen first struck Guma and Logo Local Government Area of Benue between Sunday, December 31, 2017, and Tuesday, January 2, 2018, killing 50 people.
In another attack on Tombu village of Logo LGA on January 6, the herdsmen killed 11 other persons
As at January 8, Governor Ortom’s Chief Press Secretary, Terve Akase put the death toll at 71.
