ASABA/Nigeria: The Delta State Government has strongly criticized the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, advising its spokesperson to direct concerns regarding national security to the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and the National Security Adviser.
This rebuke came in response to a recent social media post by the APC’s publicity secretary, who accused Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of negligence over minor security breaches in Delta State. Dr. Fred Latimore Oghenesivbe, Director General of the Delta State Orientation and Communications Bureau, dismissed the allegations, pointing out the national government’s failure to address security challenges despite significant financial allocations.
Oghenesivbe emphasized that Governor Oborevwori, like all state governors, is not the Commander-in-Chief and therefore lacks control over the Armed Forces or other federal security agencies. He noted that while governors are designated as Chief Security Officers of their states, their role is limited to supporting federal security agencies through voluntary provisions such as operational vehicles and gadgets. “Governors do not fund or control the operations of the Armed Forces, Police, or DSS; these are federally managed and funded,” he said.
He further criticized the APC-led national government for underfunding security agencies since coming into power in 2015, which has forced state governments to dip into their treasuries to support federal efforts—a situation Oghenesivbe described as contrary to constitutional provisions.
Oghenesivbe reminded the Delta APC that President Bola Tinubu, under the APC national government, is responsible for national security. He urged the opposition party to focus on the pressing issues of economic hardship and hyperinflation, which he attributed to misguided federal policies, including the devaluation of the naira.
He also called on the APC to work with President Tinubu to reverse the pump price of petrol to N86 and restore the naira’s value to its pre-2015 rate of N120 to one U.S. dollar, as it was when the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) handed over power.
Oghenesivbe dismissed the APC’s security concerns as baseless, asserting that Delta State remains one of the safest states in Nigeria. He attributed the state’s relative peace to Governor Oborevwori’s good governance, particularly his youth empowerment and skills acquisition programs, which have engaged thousands of young people across the state.
“Governor Oborevwori is doing exceptionally well in all sectors of the state’s economy, contributing significantly to the peace we enjoy today in Delta State,” Oghenesivbe stated. He assured that more jobs would soon be created through the State Bureau for Job and Wealth Creation, further advancing the state’s economic growth under the MORE Agenda.
He urged the people of Delta State and Nigerians at large to disregard the APC’s unfounded security allegations, reaffirming the governor’s commitment to infrastructure and socioeconomic development across the state’s 25 local government areas.
