The All Progressive Congress (APC) governorship candidate in the 2015 election and the Director-General of NIMASA has condemned what he called Governor Nyesom Wike’s strategy of intimidation and blackmail. Dr. Dakuku Peterside described it as crude, uncultured and unbecoming of a person occupying the high office of governor, saying that this is not only unacceptable to Rivers people, but the good people of Nigeria. He described such acts as irresponsible.

Dr. Peterside was reacting against the backdrop of Governor Wike’s outburst against the Nigeria Police Force and Acting Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris. He said in a statement issued on Sunday by his Media Office that it is unbecoming of Wike to arrogate to himself the powers to determine and decide which officer should be posted to Rivers State or any other state for that matter.

Dr. Peterside stressed that only the IGP has the powers, as a matter of administrative and operational procedure, to identify and deploy competent officers to take charge of any state based on intelligence exigencies.

He emphasised that it is not in doubt that Wike’s fear about which police officer is posted to Rivers State is based on the erroneous belief that it will be business as usual without recognising the principled position of the current administration.

The APC former governorship candidate advised Wike “to toe the line of decency and stop blatant lies and unwholesome blackmail of security officers just to give a dog a bad name to hang it.” He stressed that Rivers is a peace-loving state and that “Wike’s style, antics and desperation to be in power is gradually eroding the jealously-guarded characteristics of the good people of Rivers State”.

Peterside also lambasted Wike forhis alleged vituperation against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and its Chairman at a public event on Saturday.

He said: “Nyesom Wike must grow up in etiquette, public conduct and utterances. This is definitely not a fitting portrayal of who we are as decent Rivers people. We have a history of decency in our utterances, public conduct and inter-relationships. Rivers State is indeed on a downward spin and only God can salvage our once respectable and peaceful state.”

•Photo shows Dakuku Peterside.