IBUKUNOLUWA KING-OKUNEYE
The governor of Delta State and the Peoples Democratic Party vice presidential candidate, Ifeanyi Okowa, has slammed Kashim Shatimma, the All Progressives Congress, vice presidential candidate, over comments that he will oversee the nation’s security if elected.
Okowa has demanded an explanation for the comments asking if Shettima planned to take over the job of the Commander-in-Chief.
While speaking in Kano, the PDP VP candidate said, Kashim Shatimma’s statement is too ambiguous and should be verified so that Nigerians will know if he will steer the ship of security council meetings and take over the role of the president.
He said, “in our own case, we are going to run an all-inclusive government, with me and other officials complementing the President, not that I will oversee this or that, ours is an all-inclusive administration”.
Okowa asked the APC VP candidate if he is revising the constitutional provisions of the Commander-in-Chief as it is in Nigeria and if not, “how can he control security while the president is supposed to be the one in charge of them”.
Addressing other national issues, Okowa expressed concern over the shortfall in the nation’s oil production, insisting that something drastic has to be done to arrest the situation.
He stressed that as a government if elected, they will implement the New PIB Law, and fully involve the communities in the guarding of pipelines with huge penalties against anybody found vandalizing them.
Okowa said, “Above all, Nigerian security operatives should be sincere in protecting the nation’s assets, because without their commitments and sincerity whatever the government provides will be neglected.
“All those communities operating illegal refineries are known, including those outsiders, therefore security agencies should act on them and be sincere in taking care of the situation.”