Following the recent upsurge in insecurity and other criminal activities, including kidnapping in Rivers State, Governor. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi has called on the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Dahiru Abubakar, and the Federal Government to as a matter of urgency transfer the State Police Commissioner, Mbu Joseph Mbu, out of the state.
Amaechi spoke when the Chairman of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Governing Board, Chief Gordon Bozimo, led a delegation to pay him a courtesy visit at the Government House in Port Harcourt.
Bozimo had in his speech raised concerns on the recent kidnap of three Corps members and other atrocities meted on corp 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.
It would be recalled that the Assistant Inspector General of Police Zone (6) Jonathan Johnson in company of Joseph Mbu on a courtesy visit to Amaechi in May, this year promised to correct the mistakes in the discharge of their duties on the recent events unfolding in the state.
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 Corpers 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 three 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 the 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”
Amaechi emphasized that a new Commissioner of Police should be posted to the state as soon as possible to take over from 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?” Amaechi asked.
Bozimo also said that the purpose of the visit to Rivers State was in confirmation of 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. In fact, 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,” Bozimo said.
