AIG Mbu Joseph Mbu, retired from the Nigeria Police in 2016 and known for his vociferous outspokenness and no nonsense posturing. The Etung Local Government Area born cop, spoke in this interview why Cross Riverians must organise protest against the administration of Governor Ben Ayade, volunteering to lead the mass protest. 

Excerpts:

What Are Your Concerns Regarding Events In The State Capital Calabar As You Drive Around? 

In Cross River 85 to 90% of vehicles, government vehicle are FORD pickups, have no identification numbers. What I mean is that they have no number plates. They drive like that lawlessly.

If those vehicles were used for crime, how will you know where to trace them?

If it was used to knock down pedestrians or those people passing on the way and you go, how will you trace them?

The government who wants security sets the example.

Even in the Governor’s convoy, the Governor has the right to put any number plate he wants in his own car because of the honour, the seal of Cross River state is there. That is the respect. I hear that the governor has a Deputy Governor who is the de facto Governor or Governor 2, his brother who has a retinue of vehicles following him. Convoy of vehicles following him. No number plates. This is not correct and we must stop it. We must fight now and stop it. We must all rise up and stop these things.

Sir, You Sound Like You Are Sick And Tired Of What Is Going On And You Want Something More Drastic…? 

You have to carry out protests; that is what is done in the West. That is what is done in other places. Organize protests and say no, those vehicles are bought with whose money? It is government’s. Apart from this, every SA, every SSA, every this and that has two or more Mobile police man or men from OPS attached to him.

These are police personnel who are supposed to be patrolling the streets of Calabar, the highways. They are supposed to be on the streets in all our major cities, all entry points. All the suburbs. They are there being misused because we have a Deputy Commissioner of Police, Operations who does not have the love of the Nigerian police at heart. There are circulars on who is entitled to a police officers.

Are they entitled to their officers? There are people that were entitled to mobile policeman.

Well, I’m waiting for the new Commissioner of Police to report and then I will tell him if you continue doing this then I’m going to write to the IG and tell him what you are doing. Security Personnel are being used to go to our cocoa estates and suppress landlords. These are landlords whose royalties have not been paid for years, yet the government is busy milking the money out with the connivance of one Oscar Ofuka who is an indigene of that place and the Governor’s sister

How can this continue?

We all voted for you (Ayade), we all voted for the governor but are you fair to everybody? You are not fair.

During the government of Liyel and Donald Duke every DPO had a monthly entitlement of N100, 000 Naira which they used in taking care of the needs of the station; Buy fuel, do patrols and other things and other people support them. And you say the police is corrupt, what are you doing?

Since this government took over, They have never given any DPO a stipend

Area Commanders were being given N250,000 under Liyel administration, the Governor should tell us what he has been giving to these DPO’s.

Is there no security votes?

The men are just there for you to use them and oppress the people you are supposed to govern? If you don’t know what is happening, sit down and find out from the people in the grassroots not those who are coming around, calling you ‘Your Excellency, digital, digital, this and that.’ No!

Let them tell you what is happening because you are not on ground. Even when I was attacked he (Ayade) didn’t know. Nobody called me from the State to say oh, we’re sorry about what happened. What was I trying to do? I was trying to make people bring peace to your place. We will not stop. I will not stop unless things take shape in Cross River, I will not stop.

The Government House have a number of mobile policemen that should serve them. But I know, I have the figures how many are in government house, how many are being used from government house pool, here and there

They should withdraw this men back and give the governor the ones he is entitled to use. And his wife is entitled to about 10 men attached to the Excellency Office.

His brother is not entitled to any policeman. He has to apply to Abuja for them to give him the policemen and he has to tell us what he is doing with the policemen.

All this things going on in Cross River must stop. Cross Riverians are there busy calling Governor Ayade emperor, he is not an emperor, it is because you people have just mystified him, and you have to demystify him. Not to disrespect him. He is our governor we respect him but he has to do the right thing.

What is happening Cross River state can never happen in the West, cannot happen in the North. We are very docile. Very very docile. We have inertia attitude towards what is going on. And so many of you are lackeys, you are beggars. We must cry out, we must cry out against this injustice. We must organize protest, let the world know what is happening. Apply to the Police and protest peacefully. Let the people come and fire you. Let the policemen come and fire you, or let cultists come and fire you. And some of them I will lead the protests.

Thank you.

Source: CrossRiverWatch.com