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Tag: Edwin Clark

  • 2015: Clark doubts peace accord

    2015: Clark doubts peace accord

    A former federal commissioner for Information, Chief Edwin Clark, has expressed doubt over the workability of the non-violence accord signed by the two leading presidential candidates.

    All Progressive Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari and President Goodluck Jonathan Wednesday signed a non-violence accord ahead of the February 14 presidential election.

    Citing the recent United States’ statement that the increased Boko Haram attacks in the Northeast may likely be connected to the impending elections, Clark said the accord may not work.

    He also expressed disappointment that such agreement was signed at the prompting of a foreigner.

    Speaking to reporters after receiving various Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) campaign groups in his Abuja residence on Friday, Clark noted that it was a good thing that President Jonathan made himself available to sign the accord.

    He said one of the candidates cannot be trusted to keep to the agreement in view of his antecedent including his refusal, when invited, to appear before the defunct Oputa Panel set up to advance the course of peace in the country.

    Clark, who said the accord did not mean anything to him, said he would however be glad if it could engender the necessary peace before, during and after the elections.

    The elder statesman noted that the accord was not necessary, blaming its existence on what he described as desperation of some people who want power to belong to them.

    He added: “If Buhari comes and it (insurgency) stops, it is because they control it, they listen him. They started it, they know how Boko Haram started. It is easier for them to stop it.

    “But Jonathan is working on it. He has toured the area, but they have found meaning to it. They are saying it is too late. Nigeria belongs to all of us and together we can salvage it.”

     

  • Terrorism: Clark wants Nigerians to learn from France

    Terrorism: Clark wants Nigerians to learn from France

    The Ijaw leader, Chief Edwin Clark, has lashed out at the opposition for always criticizing President Goodluck Jonathan over insecurity in the Northeast, saying they should learn from the recent incident in Paris, France, where terrorists killed 12 journalists.

    Clark, who is a political father of the President, told Journalists in Abuja that former President Olusegun Obasanjo and his deputy, Abubakar Atiku, are the most corrupt leaders that the country has ever produced.

    He did not also spare the All Progressive Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammad Buhari, whom he said was not as clean as people were made to believe.

    The former federal commissioner, who spoke when he received a delegation of Northern Youths Movement for Positive Change led by David Glavda, said: we should learn from the recent incidence in Paris where terrorists killed 12 journalists in a bomb attack. Over 3.7 million people marched in solidarity with their President and that was attended by over 40 world leaders.

    “But in Nigeria, the opposition will use the press to attack the government for no just cause and make inflammatory and inciting statements that the Boko Haram was brought by Mr. president while they know that Boko Haram is mainly used to destabilize the government in support of the statements they made earlier that ‘they will make the country ungovernable unless they are in power.”

    He said the opposition does not see insecurity as “a national problem.”

    “They refused the extension of state of emergency in the three northern states in order to benefit from the confusion that will arise during elections in those areas where insurgency thrives,” he added.

    Speaking on corruption charges against the Jonathan led government, the elder statesman told journalists that those shouting to the roof were the real corrupt people.

    He alleged that Obasanjo and Atiku were the most corrupt leaders.

    He said: “Those of them who are corrupt are the ones shouting corruption to divert attention. Obasanjo is one of the most corrupt leaders and I am going to give my own account of him very soon because he has been busy shouting corruption and he is the most corrupt person. Abubakar Atiku is another corrupt person. Both himself and Obasanjo accused themselves of squandering PTDF money.

    “They are shouting corruption, corruption, what do you want to do to fight corruption? They have not said anything.

    On the APC presidential candidate, Chief Clark said his hands were not clean as people were made to believe.

    He said, “Buhari brought three consultants, his in-laws and they were mere consultants. Because as usual he was not mentally alert, he cannot do anything, he delegated the job of PTF to this three people who were mere consultants as executive director.

    “My brother (Prof. Clark who was also a member of board) even threatened to resign. Buhari did nothing at PTF. It was these people that were busy running PTF excluding other members of the trust fund.

    “And at the end of it, Obasanjo sets up inquiry and that inquiry found Buhari and his three men guilty of squandering N25billion and that had been unaccounted for till today. Obasanjo in the interest of peace refused to make the outcome of the report public.

    “Last week that report was leaked, we are going to comment. If anybody says that Buhari’s hands are clean that is not true.”

     

  • Claims on Jonathan’s 2015 bid outright lies – Clark

    Claims on Jonathan’s 2015 bid outright lies – Clark

    The prominent Ijaw leader, Chief Edwin Clark, on Thursday faulted one Umaru Ardo’s statement on President Goodluck Jonathan re-election bid, saying the President cannot be stopped from vying for re-election next year.

    Clark noted that the local and international cases cited by Ardo were not only half facts and make beliefs but outright lies.

    Ardo had approached the court to stop President Jonathan from contesting in the 2015 presidential election.

    But the former federal commissioner for information, who is a strong backer of the President, has insisted that there was no ground to stop him (Jonathan) from seeking re-election next year.

    Clark in his open letter to the Peoples Democratic Party National Chairman, Adamu Muazu ,said,  “After reading Umar Ardo’s open letter to you, on why he thinks President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, must not seek re-election for a second term in the 2015 presidential election, two very pertinent ideas came to my mind.  Firstly, let the writer be ignored, while Nigerians wait to see him in a court of law to canvas his argument to impede President Jonathan’s re-election bid in 2015.

    “Secondly, X-ray his half facts, make beliefs and outright lies to the public and those who might be gullible enough to be hoodwinked by the devil’s advocate.  The need to unveil the truth behind his half facts and as well provide details for the many cases and instances he cited, both local and international, especially the United States of America, to buttress his argument and may be incite the public against Mr. President.

    “In his passionate attempt to convince readers in his argument, the writer muddled up issues by mentioning cases of several governors that had constitutional issues with their tenure, I mean issues brought about through impeachments, courts and election petition tribunal’s decisions.  The point he canvassed citing the governors’ cases is a complete digression and bears no semblance or correlation with President Jonathan serving the unexpired tenure of the late Alhaji Umaru Yar’Adua.

    “He mentioned Rashid Ladoja, Rotimi Amaechi, Peter Obi, Boni Haruna and a host of others.  What these governor cases have to do with the argument he puts forward beats the imagination.

    “In conclusion, the PDP National Chairman, PDP Board of Trustees, the NWC, PDP Governors’ Forum, Stakeholders and the general public should discountenance Umar Ardo’s letter that was widely publicized in almost every major national newspapers.  The letter is ill motivated and sponsored by PDP detractors, who mean harm and would stop at nothing to heat up the polity unnecessarily and in fact even derail our growing democracy.”

  • Lamido not fit to rule Nigeria – Clark

    Lamido not fit to rule Nigeria – Clark

    The Jigawa State Governor, Alhaji Sule Lamido, has been advised to shelf his presidential ambition because he is not  good enough to succeed President Goodluck Jonathan.

    The Ijaw national leader, Chief Edwin Clark, who stated this on Thursday, also warned the governor to abstain from making further comments against President Jonathan, describing him as a “corrupt public officer.”

    Clark, who spoke at his Kiagbodo country home, Burutu council area of Delta State, also blamed Governor Chibuike Amaechi for the crisis of interest between himself and the President, describing the governor  as a recalcitrant fellow.

    He, however, gave a ray of hope on possible reconciliation between the duo, saying works were on to readopt the governor back into the “fold”, saying “he is one of us.”

    Dismissing Lamido’s presidential ambition as unrealistic, the former federal commissioner described President Jonathan’s re-election bid as a valid ambition, due the people of the Niger Delta.

    “Lamido should not speak, if he has not been enjoying immunity, he should have been arrested for meddling with the funds of Jigawa State with his children. His children stole Jigawa’s money, billions of naira, he’s a signatory to some of those accounts, but because he’s enjoying immunity, nobody has spoken. He’s not the fit and proper person to govern Nigeria.

    “Apart from the fact that Jonathan has another four years, Lamido is not qualified to be president of Nigeria. One, educationally, he is not qualified. Nigeria is made up of very qualified people, let him tell me what his qualifications are. Aminu Kano was the one who brought him up, tell me what his qualifications are to take over from someone who has a PhD, who has been a lecturer, who has been a governor, who has been a deputy governor. The arrogance must stop,” he said.

    Restating his earlier comments on the waiver granted former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, Chief Clark, said the former anti-graft czar is not an asset, but a liability to the ruling party in Adamawa State.

    “Ribadu is not a stable man and I have said it openly at a press conference and an open letter to the national chairman that Ribadu is a political liability, I have said that Ribadu cannot win any election,” he said.

  • Don’t grant waiver to Ribadu – Clark

    Don’t grant waiver to Ribadu – Clark

    Prominent Ijaw leader, Chief Edwin Clark, has warned the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) against granting waivers to the former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu.

    Already, the party leadership at the national and state levels are divided on the issue.

    The committee put in place by the party to consider the waiver request is expected to present its report later on Thursday

    Clark queried the rationale behind such consideration since Ribadu, according to him, lacks the “political pedigree.”

    He said it would be unacceptable to other aspirants if the committee clear Ribadu who joined the party few weeks ago.

    The former federal commissioner for information who spoke at a press conference in Abuja on Thursday faulted the defection of the former anti-graft czar from the All Progressives Congress to the PDP.

    He said, “How can we so brazenly break our own rules to destabilize our party, if not in a dangerous palace coup in the interests of high-level element within and beyond the party for reasons best known to them? What is this man bringing into the party? His antecedents are many; alas, not clean.

    “My respected, chairman, is this the paperweight politician from Adamawa state, a state which gave the president the highest number of votes, behind Taraba, that is being celebrated as a viable candidate to fly the party’s flag in 2015?

    “A Presidential candidate turned governorship aspirant, being celebrated? And you are from that zone, and should know much more than I do. Why do we seem so unmindful of the collateral damage this abnormal development, its timing and all, would cause the party, in terms of loss of enthusiasm and indeed, membership in massive numbers?

    “Has something gone into our eyes and brains, or we are all locked in voodoo charms of some fifth-columnists working out some wicked, unpatriotic, subterranean agenda, in league without opponents, to undercut the President, the party and nation?

    “Also note that the recrimations over, God forbid, the downfall of the President and the party, will first be visited upon the leadership. Please note that names of possible internal blacklegs are beginning to pop up here and there.”

     

  • Jonathan ‘ll run in 2015 —Edwin Clark

    Jonathan ‘ll run in 2015 —Edwin Clark

    Youth-South leader,  Chief Edwin Clark, yesterday said another four years for President Goodluck Jonathan will not bring down the country.

    Clark, who confirmed the President’s interest to contest in the forthcoming 2015 presidential election, also said Jonathan merited the second term because of the enormous work he had done, adding that nobody can stop him.

    The First Republic minister, who spoke yesterday  in Abuja while playing host to a delegation of  northern women in politics under the aegis of “Northern Women Mass Movement for President Jonathan 2015 Ambition” posited that it is the tradition for sitting presidents to seek a second term.

    He said: “Jonathan will contest in 2015 because of two things; one, he is qualified to do so under the law and secondly, he has performed well to the extent that those who voted him in 2011 are willing to do so again.

    “Nobody has a right to stop him from contesting. Every president who has ruled this nation spent two terms. We voted for Alhaji Shehu Shagari as President in 1979 and 1983 respectively.

    “Everybody in this country is created equal, no matter the tribe, gender or background as long as such a person is a Nigerian and educated.”

    Clark, who also spoke on the kidnapped Chibok secondary school girls, assured the northern women that the girls will come back to join their fellow women to build the nation.

    He further explained that “if the President had used force to free the girls, some of them would have died and the same people will still shout that Jonathan has killed our girls.

    “Those girls will come back to join us to build the nation.”

    Chief Clark, who chided the Northern Elders Forum who recently accused Jonathan of not doing anything for the North, said:  “This is the first time in the history of the nation that two Inspectors General of Police from the North  were appointed consecutively.

    “When people who are close to Jonathan advised him to appoint someone from the South South as IGP, he said no. This is because he is not sentimental.

    “He appointed two heads of service consecutively who are from the North. He created 10 new federal universities in the Northern region.

    “It is a feat that has not been achieved by anybody. He built al-majiri schools in the North; the rail system has been rescusitated.

    “Some people say Jonathan is parochial; that he is developing his own people. We say no. Those of us in the South South are even complaining.”

    Speaking earlier,  the leaders of the delegation, Hon. Halima Tukur from Kebbi State and Chief (Mrs.) Paulen Tellen, former deputy governor of Plateau State, had told Clark that they were on a visit to show the solidarity and support of all northern women to the 2015 ambition of President Jonathan.

    They, however, promised their support and commitment to the actualisation of having Jonathan back as the President for another four years.

    Responding to them, Chief Clark commended them for taking the bold initiative to support Jonathan come 2015.

    He urged them to appeal to other Northerner women to give their full support to President Jonathan.

    He stated that they should not allow anybody to mislead them, including their husbands.

    “I really commend the Northern women. We just finished the national conference, and for the very first time, I saw a large number of Northern women who participated brilliantly. It shows there is a dawn of a new era. I am so happy that a new Nigeria has been born.

    “You can all testify to it that Jonathan is gender-sensitive. During his reign, more women have been appointed into positions of power and he is still promoting the affairs of women. Very soon, the Chibok girls will be released.

  • Jonathan will contest in 2015 – Clark

    Jonathan will contest in 2015 – Clark

    South-South leader, Chief Edwin Clark, Friday said another four years for President Goodluck Jonathan will not bring down the country.

    Clark, who confirmed the President’s desire to go for re-election in 2015, said “Jonathan merited the second term because of the enormous work he had done and nobody can stop him.”

    The one time federal commissioner who spoke in Abuja while playing host to a delegation of Northern Women in Politics under the aegis of “Northern Women Mass Movement for President Jonathan 2015 ambition,” posited that it is the tradition for sitting presidents to seek second term.

    He said, “Jonathan will contest in 2015 because of two things; one, he is qualified to do so under the law and secondly, he has performed well to the extent that those who voted him in 2011 are willing to do so again.

    “Nobody has a right to stop him from contesting. All the presidents who had ruled this nation spent two terms. We voted for Alhaji Shehu Shagari as President in 1979 and 1983 respectively.

    “Everybody in this country is created equal, no matter the tribe, gender or background as long as such person is a Nigerian and educated.”

    Clark, who also spoke on the abducted Chibok school girls assured the northern women that the girls will come back to join other women to build the nation.

    “If President has used force to free the girls, some of them would have died and the same people will still shout that Jonathan has killed our girls.

    “Those girls will come back to join us and build the nation,” the Ijaw leader stated.

     

  • Clark disowns resource control agitators

    Clark disowns resource control agitators

    •Group circulates 51-page document
    •Threatens probe

    Former Federal Information Commissioner Chief Edwin Clark disowned yesterday agitators of total resource control.

    Clark, who disclaimed the agitators at the National Conference in Abuja, spoke against the backdrop of a document circulated to delegates by a group, Niger Delta Self Determination Movement (NDSDM).

    The 51-page document was titled: “Niger Delta: The economic life of Nigeria” with a subtitle “On resource ownership we stand”.

    The NDSDM document seems to be a direct response to the northern delegates’ document titled: “Key issues before northern delegates to the 2014 National Conference” with a subtitle: “Northern Nigeria the backbone and strength of Nigeria.”

    The northern delegates’ document was produced by a think-tank of northerners, including the Northern Governors’ Forum, Arewa Consultative Forum and Ahmadu Bello Foundation.”

    Clark, who came to the conference as an elder statesman, is the leader of Southsouth delegates to the conference.

    He described the document as “fictitious” and informed the Conference that they are investigating the source of the offensive material.

    The elder statesman said the Southsouth people were prepared to accept whatever they get from the conference.

    Clark, who spoke under “matters of urgent national importance”, said: “In 1961 when a National Conference was summoned, the Southsouth people played a leading role to keep this country together.

    “There were five documents -one in yellow, one in red, one in white, one in blue and one in pink.

    “Should this country remain together was one; do you want a unitary form of government, that is two; do you want a federation,  three: a confederation; do we break this country? These were the things that were discussed at that time.

    “The people of Niger Delta, under the leadership of Chief Anthony Enahoro, kept this country together.

    “Since then we have been together. We have been cheated, we have been down trodden, we have been oppressed and discriminated against. Everything has been done to the people of Niger Delta and we kept quiet.

    “But today, God has made it that the president is from the Niger Delta and we believed that Nigerians voted for us, we didn’t vote for ourselves. And we are members of this country.

    “The importance of this conference is for us to see if we can build a new Nigeria.

    “Little did I know, a document came into my hands yesterday but I want to say that the Southsouth members did not subscribe to it.

    “I am the leader, this document is fictitious and it is not a Southsouth paper. We are investigating this document and we shall get back to the Conference.

    “We are Nigerians and we remain Nigerians whatever we get from this conference.”

    NDSDM, in the controversial document, said it saw the National Conference convoked by President Goodluck Jonathan as an opportunity for Nigerians to engage in deep and conscious self examination about the nation’s political and socio-economic challenges.

    The group said its members still believe that the National Conference can address the burning issues for which there has been agitation over the years.

    “We urge the delegates to seize this opportunity of this historic conference to stem the fast drifting nation.”

    The document said: “We have observed the proceedings, arguments and position papers within and outside the conference, particularly, the one from our northern brothers.

    “We are compelled to correct the misleading and erroneous attempt by our northern brothers to distort facts and figures and further misinform and misdirect Nigerians.”

    The group said the northern document was a deliberate attempt to re-write the history of the socio-economic and political relationship between the North and South.

    It said the northern document appeared to suggest that Southern Nigeria had from 1900-1946, or at any other time, depended on the North for its socio-economic development.

    “This is not true and can never be true as records and reports are still there for all Nigerians to see.”

    The NDSDM said some of its concerns are that Nigeria is said to be a federation but it is operating more as a unitary state to the disadvantage of the Niger Delta people.

    “That the military and northern Nigeria inspired the 1999 Constitution and deliberately crafted to expropriate our land and mineral resources for the North’s benefit, particularly through the inclusion and continuous invocation of Section 44(3).

    “The continuous refusal to allow the people to write their own constitution that will be fair and just to the component parts of the country in the face of a forged signature.”

    NDSDM also raised the issue of the rejection of the minority report submitted to the conference by a delegate, Ms. Annkio Briggs, a member of the Conference Committee on Devolution of Powers.

    It said the rejection of the minority report, “a fair undiluted position of the Niger Delta people”, was conspiratorially meant to undermine the Niger Delta interest”.

    NDSDM said it has seen that the nation’s future lies in one direction- true federalism, including fiscal federalism and resource control.

  • Clark accuses military chiefs of oil theft

    Clark accuses military chiefs of oil theft

    Ijaw leader and a delegate to the National Conference Chief Edwin Clark yesterday accused military chiefs of oil theft.

    Clark, who was nominated by the Federal Government,  spoke as delegates continued debate on the report of the Conference Committee on Public Finance and Revenue.

    The former Federal Commissioner of Information recalled that during former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s tenure, he drew his attention to the nefarious activities of military officers, who were aiding and abeting oil theft.

    He noted that Obasanjo directed the then Minister of Defence, General T.Y. Danjuma, to probe the situation.

    Danjuma’s investigation, Clark said, led to the arrest of three naval officers.

    Of the three, he said, one was eventually exonerated.

    The Ijaw leader said: “The military officers who are in the Niger Delta are guilty of stealing the oil.

    “What I will suggest is that the troops in the Niger Delta should be changed periodically.

    “In doing so, you will find that oil theft will reduce.”

    He urged the conference to take a stand on the issue to end oil theft.

    Clark supported the committee’s recommendation   that fuel subsidy should be abolished.

    Fuel subsidy, he said, was an euphemism for corruption, urging the conference to adopt the recommendation to abolish it.

    Clark said: “In 1972 as a commissioner for finance in the old Midwest, I travelled with President Shehu Shagari, who was the Federal Commissioner of Finance, to Forcados Island, where our crude was being exported.

    “We discovered that the government officials, who were there, were more interested in what they can get than protecting the nation’s interest.

    “You hardly know how much oil was taken away from our shores.

    “Till today, I do believe that if you go to Forcados terminal the same story will be told.

    “We are talking about oil theft, I have always said that our young men at home do bucket bunkering.

    “They have no facility, they also lack the technology, but those who steal this oil are people who come from abroad.

    “Have we forgotten the case where three admirals were involved? They were court martialled”

    The Ijaw leader said the revocation of the contract given to ex-militants for the protection of oil pipelines could be responsible for the resurgence of pipeline vandalism.

    Some of the pipelines, he said, were over 50 years old and needed to be changed.

     

  • Adoke failed Jonathan on corruption, emergency rule – Clark

    The Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Mr. Mohammed Adoke, has been accused of being the weak link in President Goodluck Jonathan’s anti-corruption drive.

    He has also been fingered as the minister that misadvised the President on the partial declaration of state of emergency in the three troubled states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe.

    Ijaw leader and one time Federal Commissioner of Information, Chief Edwin Clark, made these allegations on Tuesday in Abuja while briefing journalists on the state of emergency in the three states.

    Clark noted that after watching the minister for a while, he came to the occlusion that he has not done enough in the fight against corruption, stressing that as the attorney General of the federation, he ought to strengthen the judicial process.

    He said: “Before I took this decision, I have been too patent. I have watched him for so long. In most cases he has not done well. He has not given the President good advice. On the issue of corruption, he has not done well.

    “A good attorney General would give strength to the administration by ensuring that corruption cases are fully prosecuted.”

    On the role of the minister on the declaration of partial state of emergency in the Boko Haram burdened states, the elder statesman  said, the minister misadvised the President by citing the case of Governor Joseph Dariye of Plateau State.

    According to Clark, the Supreme Court did not condemn former President Olusegun Obasanjo for suspending the democratic structures in Plateau State when he declared emergency rule in the state contrary to what the minister made the President to believe.

    He pointed out that Adoke ought to have done his check well before advising the President Jonathan on partial state of emergency.