Metro
Clark to Buhari: Respect Niger Delta
Former Federal Commissioner for Information and Ijaw leader, Chief Edwin Clark, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to show more respect for the Niger Delta region by righting what he said were disregards for the region and its people, despite earning the bulk of the nation’s resources.
Clark in a letter to the president dated January 22, 2016 said that the oil rich region lays the golden egg, yet goes through humiliation and harassment by the government, adding that except for one or two persons, no Niger Delta person or any one from Ijaw land owns an oil bloc, as they were being controlled by other people from other regions.
The elder statesman urged President Buhari to intervene in the alleged castigation and harassment of the people of the Niger Delta and for the maintenance of peace and stability in the region, even as he advised the President to be wary of some persons around him who may be misinforming him and creating problems for him.
Read also: Clark knocks GEJ, backs Buhari’s corruption fight
He also asked President Buhari to investigate the humiliation of Chief Government Ekpemupolo, also known as Tompolo, the proposed scrapping of the Maritime University in Okerenkoko, Warri South West Local Government, Delta State established by former President Goodluck Jonathan and refund of the money already released for the project as disclosed by the Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi when he appeared before Senate Committee on Marine Transport, headed by Senator Ahmed Sani.
Chief Clark who condemned the renewed blowing up of major oil and gas pipelines by militants in the Niger Delta region of the country, urged the president to bring to book all the culprits even as he said that Tompolo, a civilized Nigerian can never be part of the renewed bombing of the pipes.
He said, “I totally condemn the vandalisation of oil and gas pipelines and will give you 100 per cent support for whatever action you take to bring the culprits to book. It is with heavy heart that I decided to take record of pipeline vandalisations that have taken place within the last two years.”
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