Elder stateman, Chief Edwin Clark and Bayelsa State Governor, Honourable Henry Seriake Dickson, has raised the alarm over the increasing abuse of police and other security agencies allegedly by All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Federal Government.
Chief Clark and Governor Seriake who spoke with Journalists on Friday, in Abuja when the Elder Statesman paid a condolence visit on the later over the death of his mother, Ma Goldcoast Dickson.
He also condemned the recent assassination attempt on the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, and the police invasion of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly.
He further made it known that “We are all concerned about the conduct of security agencies ahead of the 2019 general elections. In fact, all lovers of Nigeria and democracy are concerned about the conduct of the security agencies.
“The agencies have become an extension of the ruling party, which should not be. The abuse of the security forces constitute a threat to the security, democracy and stability of the country, he said.
He revealed that “In Bayelsa, we have had no fewer than eight police commissioners in the last three months. It won’t take you long to know that there is a sinister game going on to destabilize and create instability in the state that we have worked so hard to stabilize. We urge the security agencies to conduct themselves in a way that would stabilize democracy.
“The greatest challenge we have ahead of the 2019 election is the conduct of the security agencies. That is the concern of all well-meaning Nigerians. Let us not in the quest for election, destroy these critical agencies of state and the career and reputation of these officials. When you politicize these agencies, you threaten the careers of these people who are professionals in their own right, he added.
On his part, Chief Clark also condemned the erratic transfer of eight police commissioners to Bayelsa State in three months, said that he was not surprised at the conduct of the police as they recently invaded his house in Abuja even at his age of 91 in a purported search for arms.
“We are all equal but the way they are using the police to embarrass various government, for example, in our place Bayelsa state one of the smallest states in this country what have they done ? Simply because they are few responsible politicians, he added.
He further noted that “the former governor I helped to make him, but the way he is parading himself creating instability to the state he will not succeed they are all laughing at him, even the people using him they are laughing at him. How can you post seven police commissioners to one state within three months?
He also added “now they have started with Akwa Ibom, how can three men impeach the speaker of a house? let us live in peace, if you do not allow us to live in peace, you too will not live in peace. We have no other country to go to, no African country is large enough to accommodate all of us as refugees. So let us to love one another, let us live in peace and that’s when we can succeed and unite.”
