From TONY JOHN Port Harcourt
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike has reiterated his position that Nigeria Police Force should be reformed, saying that scrapping the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) without reforming the Force would be counter-productive.
Governor Wike has also maintained his vow that he would always protect Rivers people, saying that their blood matters to him.
He declared this yesterday, when he addressed the #EndSARS campaign protesters when the marched to the Government House, Port Harcourt, to register the anger and call for outright exit of SARS.
Governor Wike berated other states who abandoned Rivers when he raised the alarm on the heinous operations of SARS and the need to scarp them, stressing that he would not play a second fiddle in the scheme of things.
He said: “All of supported us to be here. I took oath to protect lives and property. Every Rivers man’s and woman’s blood matters to me.
“What we found in this country is nobody wants to say the truth. I am telling you the truth. If you came here to think that I will say what you want me to say, I won’t say so. I will say what I know that is the truth.
“Rivers State is one of the states in this country. When we raise an alarm in this country, nobody wants to listen. But, when it happens in another place, you want me to listen. I will not do that.
“No governor in this country can say he has challenged SARS than Rivers State government did. What you Nigerians like, people who dance to the gallery. I am not one of those governors and I will not be. I will say it the way it is, whether anyone like it or not.
“Remember, when there was so much kidnapping in this state, I raised the alarm to the Federal Government. They said it was politics. It is no longer politics now that killing, kidnapping and armed robbery have taken over the country.
“No State has suffered in the hands of SARS like Rivers State. I am the only governor who has come out to fight against SARS. I said they (Federal Government) must scrap this SARS. No governor came out to say SARS should go.
“We have lost so many people in this state in the hands of SARS. When I was shouting in this country about SARS, no state supported Rivers State.
“Now, you want to tell me the same SARS has gone to kill person in another state, and it has touched them. You want me to come out to protest, Rivers blood in very important to me. I cannot play a second fiddle role. Rivers State will never play a second fiddle role”, he vowed.
Wike recalled the lecturer that was killed in Ogoni during the last election by SARS operatives, saying no state supported Rivers to stage a protest because it did not happen to them.
He said Nigerians have now realised how bad SARS was, but ignored all the alarm he raised about the nefarious operations of that Police unit.
“SARS can never be my friend. I have never supported SARS and I will never support SARS. Nigeria will like to dance to the gallery. I will not be a party to that. Every Nigerian should support the total reform of Police”, he stated.