Stop Deploying Soldiers to Guard Politicians - Wike tells Army

Rather than warning sol­diers and senior military officers against hobnob­bing with politicians, Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike of Riv­ers State has advised the Army High Command to stop posting battalions of soldiers to guard politicians.
He said that the new ap­proach to protecting politicians was counter-productive and a threat to national security.

The governor also advised the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, to go be­yond complaining that pol­iticians are romancing with soldiers and take action to check the disturbing trend.
Buratai had on Tuesday de­clared that the Nigerian Army remains apolitical and warned that any soldier found hold­ing meetings with politicians would be dealt with.
But while flagging off 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 as guards.

“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 the Old Aba Road by Mbano Junc­tion, the governor assured the people that the road would be completed on schedule.
He added that the Old Market Road to Afam would be awarded and constructed by his administration in Oyigbo Local Government Area.
The governor said that since the APC Federal Government has refused to complete the East-West Road, his adminis­tration would continue to de­velop alternative routes to grow Rivers State economy.
He said that his perfor­mance had silenced the APC and urged the people of the state to turn out en-masse for the ongoing voter registration so that they can vote out failed politicians.
The Works Commissioner, Mr. Iheanyichuwu Bathuel, said that the Old Aba Road by Mba­no junction is a critical econom­ic road that connects the neigh­bouring states.
The Caretaker Commit­tee Chairman of Oyigbo Local Government Area, Dr. Gbali Chisom, lauded Governor Wike for commencing the construc­tion of the road.
The highpoint of the cere­mony was the presentation of gifts to Wike by the political leader of Oyigbo, Ambassador Desmond Akawor.