While the nation was lamenting the joke that APC leaders have turned the Nigerian Police into, following their failure to successfully rig the Rivers Rerun Elections , the Department of State Services ( DSS) has followed suit, singing shamefully from a criminally composed hymn book.

On Thursday (December 22, 2016) evening, within the space of 15minutes, I received close to 50 calls and text messages from journalists, all seeking the response of the Rivers State Government on yet another concocted statement to justify the mayhem visited on the people of Rivers State, this time by the DSS.

The ill-conceived and baseless statement was judgmental all through and reeked of what was prepared by horribly desperate sycophants, eager to satisfy their paymaster.

For the avoidance of doubt, the Rivers State Government has issued an official statement on this dance of shame by the DSS through the Honourable Commissioner of Information, Dr Austin Tam-George.

The statement read in part: ” “It is an irresponsible scaremongering by an agency that seems bent on a mission to blackmail the governor of Rivers State, and bring the state government into disrepute. Governor Wike is a man of peace, and would never orchestrate disturbances in any part of the country.”

In issuing a statement wherein the DSS alleged that the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike planned to sponsor protests that will destabilise the Federal Government and the administration in bad light, the DSS conveniently forgot that for two separate days, APC leaders sponsored northern elements to protest against the government and people of Rivers State on the streets of Abuja.

They also forgot that on these two occasions, Police and DSS provided security cover for the hired northern protesters, giving them the official seal to insult the sensibilities of Rivers people who spoke in one voice; that APC stands rejected.

The DSS statement issued on thursday by interpretation is similar to that issued by the alleged principal sponsor of the alleged murder of the DSP. The main suspect in the murder of the DSP, according to Police Official Statement, confessed that their sponsor is Mr Wokocha, an aide to the Minister of Transportation and prominent APC Politician in ONELGA.

At the time the police released the name of Wokocha to the public, they presumed he is a PDP member. When it became obvious that the suspect is a leading APC member linked to the Federal Government, the DSS was conscripted to do damage control. As always, this damage control has worsened the already soiled image of the APC Government.

Before the DSS joke of a statement trying to link Governor Wike to any form of violence, the said Wokocha issued a statement trying to exonerate himself and his principal. Expectedly, the police is yet to invite Wokocha for questioning. Instead, the security agencies are struggling to divert attention from the substance of the matter.

In its embarrassing statement, the DSS took out time to rain insults on Governor Wike. They conveniently forgot that they are a security agency funded with the Niger Delta resources, but expected to serve all interests.

That the DSS have joined the police in straying into the bush of infamy, brings to the fore, the danger of having politicians head security agencies. The DSS, rather than gather intelligence, is desperate to defend the APC.

Did the Nigerian Police and the DSS contest the Rivers Rerun/supplementary elections? Why are they crying louder than the bereaved? Why are the setting up joint panel of inquiry to justify their concoction of an already discarded audio clip.

We understand that they are paid to act a script. But, every good actor knows when to leave the stage. It is obvious this illegal Squad (Police and DSS) are oblivious of this fact. They continue to dance naked on a stage where they have been repeatedly disgraced.

If 98000 security personnel (policemen, SARS personnel, DSS operatives, soldiers, Air Force personnel, immigration officials etc) deployed to Rivers State could not conquer the state for these political armed robbers, what makes the DSS and Police think that poorly and hurriedly written statements would move Rivers people.

In Rivers State, there are two popular political songs by the teeming supporters of Governor Wike. One: “How many dem dey wey we no go win dem” and “No body get morale like Wike “.

The DSS and Police should set up a 50 man panel to understand these songs. Nobody can intimidate a leader with the backing of his people.

These film tricks will amount to nothing. Like Governor Wike said, the security agencies should quietly retire the money they gave them for the elections without generating noise.

Governor Wike at his philosophical best sums the Rivers situation thus: “I believe that this country belongs to all of us. I believe that nobody should be a second class citizen of this country.

“I come from a state that by the Special Grace of God produces the wealth of the nation. So, even those who depend on the oil noney to survive are allowed to speak. Why would somebody that produces that wealth, not speak?”

The governor emphasized that all the people of Rivers State demand is that democracy must triumph. He wondered why the leadership of APC cannot accept that they will not win in all states, when Former President Jonathan willingly conceded defeat.

He said: “This is a government that came to power on the platform of change. We have offered ourselves to help them achieve change, instead of them to commend us, they want to eliminate us.

“I have told people who care to know, you rig election where you are popular. When you rig election where you are not popular, it leads to violence “.

Our security agencies should retrace their steps in the interest of this country. The other day it was the Rivers APC helping the Nigerian Army to issue a press statement. Now it is the DSS defending the APC.

What kind of security agency would raise very frightening false alarm over suspected protests in Abuja, just to cover up regrettable inefficiencies which have engendered unpopularity in the land.

Please as you sleep every night, pray for our security agencies. They have fallen victim of the economic recession, hence they are willing tools in the hands of wicked politicians without conscience.

Please pray for our security services so that they realise that they owe their allegiance to the Nigerian Constitution and not to the APC National Executive Council.

In fact, just pray for the deliverance of our security agencies. They have been kidnapped by the APC. Let’s join hands to rescue them in their time of need.

Their challenge transcends the Rivers Rerun and their desperation to justify their failure to successfully rig.

Simeon Nwakaudu is Special Assistant to the Rivers State Governor on Electronic Media.