Allocating soldiers to politicians, threat to national security – Wike

The Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has described the allocation of battalions of soldiers to politicians as a threat to national security.
Wike, who was reacting to a comment credited to the Chief of Army Staff, General Tukur Buratai, that some people were approaching soldiers for political reasons, said the trend was counterproductive and urged the Army High Command to desist from it.

The governor explained that Buratai should go beyond complaining that politicians were hobnobbing with soldiers and take action to check the disturbing trend.
Speaking during the flag off of the construction of the Old Aba Road by Mbano Junction in Oyigbo Local Government Area on Wednesday, Wike said all over the world, only the Commander-in-Chief had soldiers guarding him.

He regretted that in Nigeria, the authorities had made it a practice to allocate soldiers to politicians in the good books of the Federal Government, with such soldiers used for undemocratic actions against the people.
He said, “Who are those approving battalions of soldiers to politicians? If they don’t want soldiers to follow politicians, they should stop giving soldiers to politicians.

“It is only in Nigeria that soldiers follow politicians. They should stop soldiers from being security details to politicians. Somebody comes home and they will give him battalions of soldiers and they say soldiers should not hobnob with politicians.
“All over the world, it is only the commander-in-chief that is allowed to use soldiers. But here, you see soldiers following politicians everywhere.”