Ministers not loyal to Jonathan – Edwin Clark
Former
minister of Information and Ijaw leader, Chief Edwin Clark, has alleged
that ministers are not loyal to President Goodluck Jonathan. Clark
spoke while delivering the ‘2nd State of the Federation Lecture’
organised by the Nigerian Institute for Advanced Legal Studies at the
Shehu Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja on Wednesday. Clark delivered a brief
summary of his 67-page lecture titled, “2012 State of the Federation
Lecture.”
He said, “Today, ministers are in office – how many of them have you
seen making political statements in support of the President? No one!
Because they believe that their loyalty does not lie with the President.
They are loyal to the governors that nominated them.
“Today the governors have taken over the PDP. Without them there can
never be an executive. So the National Working Committee of the PDP is
not loyal to the party, the chairman of the party, or the President.
They are only loyal to the governors.”
Clark, who is known to be close to the President, also accused
politicians who allegedly threatened to make the country ungovernable
for President Jonathan of sponsoring the violent Islamic sect, Boko
Haram.
Boko Haram has waged a violent campaign against the society, killing
hundreds in attacks on churches, a mosque, military and police
facilities and bars in the northern part of the country.
The octogenarian said, “Our type of terrorism is homegrown, whereas
in the US and Israel it is imported from the Middle East. Boko Haram,
which was a religious group, has become a political body.
“People who said they must make Nigeria ungovernable for President Goodluck Jonathan must be behind what is happening.
“If you have said you will make this country ungovernable for
President Jonathan – the government should pick (you) up, nobody is
bigger than the government.”
“In the Niger Delta, our own (agitation) is for 50 per cent derivation, what is their own grievance?”
President Jonathan is the President of Nigeria. He is not the
President of the Niger Delta; he is not the President of the Ijaw.”
He faulted former military dictator Ibrahim Babangida’s recent
intervention in the Boko Haram crisis, arguing that the ex-dictator
ought to have spoken before then.
Clark said, “I expected that IBB should have spoken since. I thought
he would have spoken with his friend (Gen. Muhammadu) Buhari; two of
them have been meeting since. So why (speak) with Obasanjo?
“IBB said he would wear a uniform and fight for Nigeria’s unity at
72. He should first stand up and condemn Boko Haram from the bottom of
his heart.
“Obasanjo has gone to Maiduguri to meet the people. Why has he (IBB) not gone?”
In the lecture that touched on several issues, Clark argued that the
National Assembly did not have the powers to single-handedly amend the
1999 Constitution.
He said, “Today I am 85 years old, and it could be my last appeal to
you. Only God knows, for some time there seems to be deliberate attempts
by certain elements to harass and intimidate President Goodluck Ebele
Jonathan without any justification simply because he does not belong to a
certain part of this country where the people believe it is their
absolute right to rule because they are in the majority without having
regard to the fact that the world is changing fast.
“Some parts of this country have ruled for about 40 years out of our
52 years and another part of this country has ruled for 12 years. Now
that it has pleased God to choose a minority man to rule, why not give
him a chance if we are all equal citizens of our great country. He is
not going to be there forever, but only for the period allowed him by
Section 137 of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria.
“Pastor Tunde Bakare has turned his pulpit to a political theatre
where he preaches against President Jonathan and his administration to
the extent of saying that the President will not last up to 2015, adding
that Nigerians should be ready for fresh elections any time before
2015.”
Clark however urged the National Assembly to drop its threat to
impeach Jonathan, arguing that 100 per cent implementation of the budget
was not possible, anywhere in the world, between July and September.
