A retired Director with the Department of State Service has regretted over the circumstances that led to his removal from Akwa Ibom State on what he called ‘flimsy and unsubstantiated allegations.’
Mike Ejiofor, a retired SSS Director speaking in an interview with The Vanguard reporter three days ago, did not give more insights into the allegation.
”I won’t call it sad because of my belief in God. My saddest day was the day I was removed from Akwa Ibom as State Director on flimsy and unsubstantiated allegations.
”Another sad day in my life was the day I was kidnapped but to the glory of God I was rescued,’’ he further stated.
Ejiofor, a lawyer was kidnapped by herdsmen but was later release, though he did not state the amount he paid to secure his freedom.
The retired director said ”I had left the service about three, four years earlier. I went to my village in Delta. On my way back with my driver, that is why I tell people to always take security precautions, we ran into herdsmen, kidnappers and they opened fire.
”I told my driver to stop because he who fights and runs away leaves to fight another day. We were taken into the bush for four days. We were there, they cooked food, my driver was eating the food but I couldn’t eat. I lived on cashew fruits for four days before my release was negotiated.
”Well, before I was taken by the kidnappers, I used to tell people not to pay ransom because when you pay ransom, you encourage kidnappers but until I went in there and came out I now knew that you must pay ransom. I paid ransom but I won’t tell you how much.”
On what is responsible for the rivalry amongst security agencies, he declared ”Like I said before, two of them are blackmail and politics, one agency trying to take credit for doing what it is not supposed to do.”
”The police will be doing the work of the SSS, the SSS will be doing the work of the police, the police will be doing the work of the army; army will be doing the work of the police, all to please the political master.
”So, basically, the reason for the agency rivalry is politics. I acknowledge that the functions of the various agencies are interwoven, sometimes not clearly defined.
”Like the omnibus clause in the State Security Service, one of the instruments establishing the SSS is that you can be given any other assignment by Mr. President, so if Mr. President tells you to go and do something, will you say you will not do it?”
According to him, ”However, we need to build strong institutions. For instance, once we get our electoral process right, we will have fewer problems because leaders will now emerge from a credible, reliable process.
”Even our judicial process is not reliable. I am sorry to say this because I am a lawyer but you can see that people now buy judgments,” the security expert observed.
