Rivers Monarchs Condemn Sack Of Six Police Officers

Traditional rulers in Rivers State have risen stoutly in condemnation of the dismissal by the police high command of six police officers attached to the Governor of the State, Chief Nyesom Wike, with a call to the Inspector General of Police to revisit the issue for the sake of peace and justice.
The monarchs, who made the condemnation during the 105th Quarterly General Meeting of the Rivers State Council of Traditional Rulers in Port Harcourt last Monday noted with dismay that the six police officers were dismissed for merely carrying out their legitimate duty of protecting their principal, Governor Wike.
Speaking on behalf of the monarchs in his address, the Chairman of the Rivers State Council of Traditional Rulers, His Majesty King Dandeson Douglas Jaja decried a situation where some senior police officers, who played ignoble roles during the December 10, 2016 legislative rerun polls in the state are still in the state discharing their normal duties, while the six sacked police officers and the entire governor’s security details had been withdrawn.
“This means that of all the 36 Governors of this country, only our Governor is unprotected except by Almighty God. We, as Royal fathers of the state are alarmed at this dangerous situation. As Royal fathers, we do not want to be partisan, but we also want to use this medium to call on the Inspector General of Police to revisit the dismissal of these six police officers”, he said.
King Jaja also called on well meaning Nigerians, especially President Muhammadu Buhari to prevail on the Inspector General of Police to restore Governor Wike’s security details to their former positions, while appealing to other traditional rulers in the country to add their voices to this issue and prevail on the Federal Government to restore the governor’s security details.
While commending Governor Wike’s giant development strides in less than two years in office, he noted that the economic downturn in the country has not deterred him from fulfilling promises made to traditional rulers in the state, and thanked him for the even spread of road projects in the three senatorial districts of the state.
The monarch, who is also the Amanyanabo of Opobo Kingdom, expressed delight that the Rivers State Government has set the ball rolling for the Golden Jubilee celebration of the State, stressing that Governor Wike was destined to be on the saddle to see the celebration through, and thanked him for appointing the Amanyanabo of Grand Bonny Kingdom, His Majesty King Edward Asimini William Dappa-Pepple and His Majesty, Eze (Dr.) Samuel Amaechi into the Golden Jubilee celebration committee.
While interacting with newsmen shortly after the meeting, King Jaja disclosed that the traditional rulers would follow up their call for the restoration of Governor Wike’s security details with petitions to President Muhammadu Buhari and the Inspector General of Police.
He said the promise by Governor Wike to provide cars to the traditional rulers and also construct a befitting secretariat for them was a welcome development, stressing that the governor has always shown that he keeps his words and promises.
“As a fall out, we may request government to give us another site for a bigger premises for the secretariat”, he added.

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