From Tony John, Port Harcourt
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, said the state government would continue to support the Nigeria Police Force to enable them achieve all set goals and mission for the protection of people leaving and doing business in the State, legitimately.
Governor Wike stated this at the flag off of Operation Restore Peace in the South South Zone, by the acting Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, at the Sharks Sports Stadium, Port Harcourt, yesterday.
Governor Wike, who was represented by his Deputy, Dr. Mrs. Ipalibo Harry Banigo, said Rivers is peaceful and attributed it to his administration’s zero tolerance for violence and crime.
He said: “We believe that a people can only progress in an atmosphere of peace and security, where people can go about their legitimate business peacefully, without any harassment. So, we, as a government and as a people, will continue to believe in the sovereignty of this nation Nigeria.”
The governor expressed gratitude to the acting Inspector General of Police for the official launch of Operation Restore Peace, in the South South Zone and said “we believe in this peace move and will support it all the way through”.
In his remarks, the acting Inspector General of Police, Baba, said the launch of Operation Restore Peace outfit in Port Harcourt, was the first in line with the police strategic action plan to restore peace across the country.
He said in the incoming days, the special operation would be extended to other parts of the country, to address peculiar crime, like banditry, kidnapping and armed robbery in other geopolitical zones.
He added that the operation would cover all the states within the South South zone.
The Acting Inspector General urged officers for the new outfit to see their deployments as a call to national duty and charged them to be civil with the law-abiding citizens, but firm and ruthless with criminal elements.