Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike has asked the Army High Command to stop posting soldiers to politicians, saying it is counter-productive and a threat to national security.
Wike said this in response to the Chief of Army Staff Lt.-Gen. Turkur Buratai’s directive that soldiers should stay away from politicians.
READ ALSO: Buratai Warns Soldiers To Avoid Politicians
The governor called on the Army Chief to go beyond complaining that politicians are hobnobbing with soldiers and take action to check the disturbing trend.
Speaking during the flag off of the construction of the Old Aba Road by Mbano junction in Oyigbo Local Government Area on Wednesday, Governor Wike said all over the world, only the Commander-in-Chief has soldiers guarding him.
He regretted that in Nigeria, the authorities have made it a practice to allocate soldiers to politicians, who are in the good books of the Federal Government, with such soldiers used for undemocratic actions against the people.
He said, “Who are those approving battalions of soldiers to politicians? If they don’t want soldiers to follow politicians, they should stop giving soldiers to politicians.
“It is only in Nigeria that soldiers follow politicians. They should stop soldiers from being security details to politicians. Somebody comes home and they will give him battalions of soldiers and they say soldiers should not hobnob with politicians.
“All over the world, it is only the commander-in-chief that is allowed to use soldiers. But here, you see soldiers following politicians everywhere.”
On the construction of Old Aba Road by Mbano Junction in Oyigbo Local Government Area, the governor assured the people of the area that the road would be completed on schedule.
The governor said that since the All Progressives Congress-led Federal Government had refused to complete the East-West Road, his administration would continue to develop alternative routes to lubricate the Rivers economy.
Stressing that his performance has silenced the APC, the governor urged the people of the state to turn out en masse for the voter registration, so that they can vote out failed politicians.
