Don’t politicise military spending, security - Dickson

The Governor of Bayelsa State, Mr. Seriake Dickson, has said the provision of necessary equipment for military and security services in the country should not be politicised.


Dickson said it was the responsibility of government to place priority on security to be able to develop society.

A statement on Monday by Dickson’s Special Adviser on Media Relations, Mr. Fidelis Soriwei, quoted the governor as having made the comment during a tour of military and security formations in Yenagoa on Sunday.

Dickson visited the headquarters of the 16 Brigade, Nigerian Army, and the Police Officers Mess in Yenagoa to felicitate with the officers and men at Christmas.

He encouraged the security forces to do more in the efforts to combat crime in Bayelsa State, the Niger Delta and the entire country.

He called on the political leadership to take the challenge to give the necessary support to the military and security agencies, whose efforts were required to realise the objective to develop society.

Dickson said, “I want to assure you that under my leadership, the issue of security and stability will continue to be on the front burner. The first responsibility of any administration is to encourage the work for peace and stability. You can’t have development without security.

“I want to also use this opportunity to say what I have said all along that the political leadership in our country should rise to the occasion and support the great work that our men and women in uniform are doing.

“There should be no partisanship, no brinkmanship, no showmanship when it comes to the issue of giving necessary support and equipment to our men and women in uniform who are the only people that have volunteered to serve our nation at the risk of their lives.”

According to the governor, Bayelsa is one of the safest states in the federation and indeed the safest in the South-South because of the collaborative efforts of the government and the security agencies.

Dickson, who assured security agencies of greater collaboration in 2018, urged them to redouble their efforts for security, peace and stability of the state next year.

In his remarks, the Commissioner of Police in Bayelsa State, Mr. Amba Asuquo, commended the governor for his sustained support to police operations in the state, including the donation of the best Officers’ Mess and a complete police band to the command.

The commissioner said 72 suspects, arrested after a show of force in Yenagoa on Saturday, were being screened.

He added that a suspect, who robbed the manager of a new generation bank and another robber, who shot his colleagues while attempting to shoot a victim, were also in police custody.

Also, the Commander, 16 Brigade of the Nigerian Army, Brig. Gen. Kelvin Aligbe, who also hosted Dickson, thanked the governor for providing the brigade with resources that aided the realisation of its operational objectives.

Aligbe said, “Your Excellency, this is not an opportunity to patronise your person, but I will not miss this opportunity to declare how happy, how fulfilled we are, and how wonderful you have been to us in this journey particularly for the 16 Brigade that is the youngest in the Nigerian Army.

“In a very short time, you ensured that we took off and we are not just running, we are actually flying and we are achieving all the operational objectives set out for us in the division by the COAS.”