'I am not against anybody agitating but it shouldn't be violent' - Governor Wike

Governor Nyesom Wike has said that he is not against anyone agitating over any grievances they have.

The Rivers State Governor said this during a visit by the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Farouk Yahaya maintained that such agitations shouldn't be violent.

He said, “God who has put the different people together did not make a mistake by saying there should be a country called Nigeria.

“There must be differences. There must be anger. It is for us to sit down to discuss it. I have said generally that I am not against anybody agitating for whatever they want to agitate. My advice is that they should not be violent.

“So, if anybody says they’re agitating, I have no problem. I believe in the unity of this country.”

Wike also appealed to the COAS to prevent his men and officers from getting involved in mainstream politics as he recounted how soldiers allegedly got involved in the 2019 election. He however said these soldiers were allegedly stopped by Rivers state women.

He said, "I don’t understand why we cannot remove politics from our jobs. Let’s do our jobs and keep the country going. I can tell you that I’m willing and ready to work with all the security agencies, not only the Army.

“The gunboats we are providing are almost ready. We have paid for everything. We will also provide vehicles. All I need is the security of my people. I’m here to partner you.”

Commending Yahaya for the proactive measures he has taken to address the threats to the sovereignty of the country, he added that banditry, kidnapping, and agitations were different dimensions of crimes that had put Nigeria in a dire situation.

Wike added, “You should continue to maintain integrity, that respect for the Nigerian Army. It is very important. Even if you leave office today, you can say that while I was Chief of Army Staff, I maintained that the integrity of the Army must be protected at all times.”