Rivers Police chief attacks Amaechi

Posted by: Rosemary Nwisi in Featured, News


The Rivers state commissioner of Police (CP), Mbu Joseph Mbu yesterday accused Governor Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi of being dictatorial in the way he runs the state.

Mbu spoke in Port Harcourt yesterday while reacting to allegations by Amaechi on the failing security situation in the state since the deployment of the Mbu.

The CP said Amaechi wanted to cow him and reduce him to a rubber stamp, but insisted that he would not concede to that.

Throwing light on some of the issues between him and Amaechi, he urged residents to ignore the statement by the governor that the security situation had deteriorated.

Amaechi, while receiving former Minister of Petroleum Prof. Tam David-West on Tuesday, accused Mbu of engaging in activities that are negatively affecting the fragile security of the state.

But the CP said: “Your governor, our governor is very tyrannical. He is a dictator and he wants everybody here to say yes sir to him, and I said I will not say yes sir to him, I will not because I must be a professional and I will stand tall.

“Crime wave in this state has drastically come down since I came here, because people who were not always on their seats before are now at alert. I call them by 2:00am they are awake, they are on patrol. On my own, I have refurbished 12 Hilux patrol vehicles, how can you tell me that the crime wave has gone up.

“I have respect for the governor; I have respect to the office of the governor, but let him also have respect for the Police.

“The office of the governor is a revered office, it is an office that has respect.

“Sometimes silence is golden but sometimes it could be mistaken or misconstrued for acceptance.

“I have very high regard for the Excellency the Executive governor of this state, Rotimi Amaechi, but his attacks on me are going beyond bounds and there is need for me to clarify some of the issues.”

He denied relaying decisions of security meetings to Abuja as alleged by the governor saying security meetings were not formally held. He added: “I told him that my loyalty to the IGP is total.”

Mbu said his disagreement with the governor also had to do with who chairs the internal security meetings in the state.

He said a letter from the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) directed the commissioner of police to chair the meeting, but that Amaechi insisted that it should be rotated.

“One issue I have had with the governor is who chairs internal security meetings in the state.

“He, (governor) said we should rotate it but I said no, there is a letter from the NSA on this.

“It is the commissioner of police that does. I told him if my predecessors did not do what was right I won’t follow them.

“The commissioner of police is to chair the forum and assume responsibility to brief the governor.

“I told him the Inspector-General of police has so many sources of information. I told the governor that my loyalty to the governor is total,’’ he said.

Mbu also said no formal security meeting had been held since he came to the state, noting that he had not received letter any convening security meeting.

“I am not here for any agenda. I have respect for the office of the governor and the governor of the state, but let him (governor) also have respect for the police and me,’’ Mbu said.

The Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mrs Ibim Semenitari, described Mbu’s comments on Amaechi as “most unfortunate’’.

“Mbu’s comments are most unfortunate, but we will prefer to address the matters raised administratively,’’ she said.

Mbu also vowed to arrest Tony Okocha, the Chief of Staff to Governor Amaechi over a matter involving him and the President of the Port Harcourt Club. He said Okocha is seeking court protection in vain.

The governor had alleged that Mbu gave more security cover to the Port Harcourt club chair Sylvester Wiyioma and the club premises than other important places in the state.

But Mlbu said he did that following attempts on the life of the club president and the club property.

He noted that Okocha was linked to that and had been invited by the police to make statement in that regard.

Mbu said “the chief of staff has gone to court asking the court to restrain me from arresting him; I am not yet ready for him.

“There is no court in this world that can grant such a prayer. Which means everybody will go to court after he/she had committed a crime to get an injunction to avoid arrest.

“It is based on this that more policemen were drafted to Port Harcourt club,” he said.

SlyIg: Amaechi doesn't have your time for now, let him finish with the problem at hand and he will turn to you.

Stupidd officer in the N20 order. You think Amaechi is your play mate!

On Wednesday, the new Assistant Inspector- General of Police,
AIG, in charge of Zone 6, Jonathan Johnson, paid a courtesy
visit to the governor of Rivers, Rotimi Amaechi, and
acknowledged that the Rivers State Police Command might
have made errors in the way they handled recent political
events in the state.


He apologised and assured that the police would make amends
in righting the inadvertent wrongs by its officers.
He was accompanied on the visit by senior police officers from
the zone, including the Rivers police commissioner, Joseph
Mbu, who’s been widely seen as unfair in his handling of the
crisis.


The AIG said he had directed the state Commissioner of Police,
Mbu Joseph Mbu, to ensure that there was no security breach
in the state.

“So, we will take note of all these mistakes and we will correct
them. I am assuring you, we will correct them. If there are
lapses noticed, let us know so that we can make amends.
“And I also want to thank you (Amaechi) that for all you have
done for us and the others that you are going to do. We shall
continue to appreciate because you know requests from the
police will never stop coming.

“Every human being that has served or is going to serve (the
Nigeria Police Force) sometimes is susceptible to some errors
here and there and when that comes to forefront, it is
incumbent on that very particular person to say we shall
amend.”

“I know when these issues of withdrawal of security from some
staff officers of yours came, there were agitations here and
there.”

Johnson also told Amaechi that he had ordered the
commissioner to replace the police orderlies from the Anti-
Terrorism Squad withdrawn from some top officials with
policemen from the Special Protection Unit.

“We have always been at the wrong side of history because of
one thing or the other but you (Amaechi) show understanding
in our mistakes, you show understanding in our service and
that is why you’ve provided all these things.

“We remain grateful to you on behalf of the Inspector- General
of Police. We say a big thank you.

“I must show gratitude because I’ve heard so much about your
activities, when your government singlehandedly sponsored the
development and training of our ATS (Anti-Terrorism Squad)
centre here in Rivers State.

“We have it on record, your numerous activities of assistance to
the command and to the mobile police force.

“I can also see what I have seen on the road yesterday, the new
patrol vehicles here and there, that is to show your
demonstration of love for the police force”.

Gov. Amaechi thanked the AIG for the visit and advised the
officers to avoid playing politics with the security of the lives
and properties of Rivers people.

“We should not play politics with security. The only
responsibility enshrined in the constitution for both the
President and the state governors is that we swear to an oath
that we will protect lives and property and we are beginning to
have that challenge in Rivers State.

“I want you to kindly convey to the Police Command that we
are beginning to have security challenges in Rivers State and
we should not forget that you may play politics with every other
thing but one place you don’t play politics with is the security
of the lives of our people who elected us to offices and it will
not be to the interest of Rivers people if we go back to the era
of 2005, 2006 and early 2007,” Amaechi said

BekeeBuAgbara: If Rotimi could attack president Jonathan and PDP,

whiteeyes:
To show professionalism as he claims, the mbu man shouldn't havr replied the governor in the first place. It seems he only went to the statw to act out a script. I think for trhe sake of peace, the officer should be moved out of the state immediately. Ameachi na seasones lawyer, wetin the cP be sef? SSCE holder? Just asking...!

dayokanu:

Explain to us how Amaechi attacked Retardeen Jonathan and the PDP

BekeeBuAgbara: Are you in another planet?

BekeeBuAgbara: If Rotimi could attack president Jonathan and PDP.

BekeeBuAgbara: Are you in another planet?

Dracula27%:
In certain situations silence can be taken to mean consent.
If the CP had not spoken we would not have known as much as we know now.
Ameachi brought the case to the court of public opinion .
Now he has spoken with verifiable facts and our responses are no more on facts or issues.

whiteeyes:
To show professionalism as he claims, the mbu man shouldn't havr replied the governor in the first place. It seems he only went to the statw to act out a script. I think for trhe sake of peace, the officer should be moved out of the state immediately. Ameachi na seasones lawyer, wetin the cP be sef? SSCE holder? Just asking...!

emk4lif:
Seasoned Lawyer my foot, Amaechi never sudied Law, graduated wit a third class in english Studies from Uniport , spent the bulk of his time as a student union leader...compare with GEJ who graduated with a high 2.1 from the same school

emk4lif:
Seasoned Lawyer my foot, Amaechi never sudied Law, graduated wit a third class in english Studies from Uniport , spent the bulk of his time as a student union leader...compare with GEJ who graduated with a high 2.1 from the same school