ABUJA—ELDER statesman and prominent Ijaw leader, Chief Edwin Kiagbodo
Clark, yesterday, stoked his campaign against Northern leaders over the
activities of Boko Haram by asking security agencies to go after former
Minister of Finance, Mallam Adamu Ciroma and former Governor of Kaduna
State, Alhaji Lawal Kaita.
The former Federal Information commissioner, who challenged former
President Ibrahim Babamasi Babangida to a joint public debate on
national issues to ascertain who is actually senseless or senile,
insisted that northern leaders must speak out on the activities of Boko
Haram if they were not backing the group.
Reading a prepared text on behalf of Chief Edwin Clark at a Press
briefing inAbujayesterday, Legal Adviser to the Ijaw leader, Kayode
Ajulo, said that Ciroma and Kaita’s comments before the massive killings
could serve as substantial evidence against them.
The E.K Clark statement
The text read in part: “Chief Clark’s challenge to the leaders of the
North is predicated on the misguided statements of some of the Northern
opinion leaders since the inception of this administration. For
example, in October, 2010 during a build up to the last presidential
election, Alhaji Lawal Kaita, a prominent Northern leader promised to
makeNigeriaungovernable if the President did not come from the North.
“And as if on cue from Lawal Kaita, several other leaders of Northern
Political Leaders Forum, headed by Alhaji Adamu Ciroma, of which Gen.
Babangida is a prominent member, followed suit with similar reckless
comments which might not only threaten peace in Nigeria but also
Nigeria’s very existence.
“Recently in March this year, Lawal Kaita issued another threat to
the effect that the only condition forNigeriato be one is for the
presidency to come to the North in 2015.”
According to Clark, northern leaders must show genuine commitment, be
proactive and speak out now towards addressing the challenges posed by
the Boko Haram insurgency against the backdrop that precious lives of
Nigerians were being wasted daily across the country in Borno, Yobe,
Sokoto, Kano, Katsina, Kogi, Abuja and Bauchi among others.
On General Babangida’s reaction to his public lecture last Wednesday,
particularly where it was alleged that senses had since departed
him,Clarksaid that the public debate or discourse with Babangida must be
free of interference and prompting from aides.
He added: “Let it also be noted, for the record, that Chief Clark
delivered a one hour, 20 minutes lecture very coherently and
articulately without having to refer to a written text. Nigerians stand a
better position to judge as to who is senseless or senile as suggested
by Gen. Babangida who can only make public utterances through texts
prepared by aides and speech writers.”
Insisting that the former military president was side-stepping
comments on Boko Haram,Clarkurged Nigerians to ask why he had been
silent for so long on the issue.
How it all started
The exchange of brick-bats between Clark and Babangida started last
week Wednesday when Clark at theSecondStateof the Federation Lecture
organised by the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, NIALS
inAbujaclaimed that some northern leaders were not speaking out against
increasing spate of violence in the country.
He had specifically challenged Babangida and former Head of State,
General Muhammadu Buhari to condemn the activities of the Boko Haram
group that have claimed responsibility for the insurgency campaign in
many parts of the country.
But replying the elder statesman on Sunday through his spokesman,
Prince Kassim Afegbua, Babangida slammed Clark for not recognizing the
historic role he played in unifying the country, just as he warned Clark
not to crucify him, adding that with his age, what should be the
cardinal posture of Chief Clark was to proffer solutions to the problem
of insecurity in the country.
According to Babangida, “we view this misguided and senseless
statement in very bad taste and we take very strong exceptions to his
drooling and implied conclusion.”
Countering yesterday, the elder statesman, who described Babangida’s
statement as total insult and total misconceptions, said, “the
statements showed nothing but insulting miscomprehension and
misconception of Chief E. K. Clark’s innocuous expressed opinions and
the challenge thrown down to the leaders of the North on the need to
resolve the Boko Haram menace.
“Ordinarily, Gen. Babangida should have joined many other Nigerians
who applauded Chief E. K. Clark for crying out over the wanton loss of
lives being experienced daily over the senseless killings ofNigeria’s
women and children, Christians and Muslims alike.
“Chief E. K. Clark is committed to the unity ofNigeriaand peace
within its borders. This was aptly demonstrated when some youths in the
Niger Delta took arms against the Federal Government of Nigeria,
resulting in the near total shut down of oil production; crude oil
production which normally stood at 2.5 million barrels per day was
reduced to 700, 000 barrels daily. Chief Clark led a delegation of Niger
Delta leaders into the creeks to appeal to the youths to lay down arms
and embrace peace.
How Clark ended militancy in Niger Delta
“Chief E. K. Clark also went to the creeks with the then Vice
President, now President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, particularly to
Okerenkoko and Camp 5 (which was the headquarters of the militants),
thereby laying the foundation for late President Yar Adua’s amnesty
programme.
“Therefore, amnesty did not come on a platter of gold, but through
the genuine determination of the leaders of the Niger Delta, led by
Chief E. K. Clark. Today, crude oil production inNigeriahas risen to
about 2.7 million barrels per day.
“It is therefore imperative, irrespective of the name calling, to
restate what was said at the NIALS lecture on the state of Nigerian
Federation that ”Gen. Babangida and other Northern leaders must speak
out, be proactive as well as demonstrate genuine commitment to address
the challenges posed by the Boko Haram.” This is more so as precious
lives of Nigerians are being wasted daily across the country in Borno,
Yobe, Sokoto,Kano,Kaduna, Kogi,Abuja, Bauchi, etc.
“Chief (Clark) is surprised that Gen. Babangida would belatedly
suggest that President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan should use Moslem
clerics, when he, by his experience, and position is fully abreast of
what to do in the circumstances of Nigeria bearing in mind his exalted
membership of the Council of State and his former position as President
and Commander-in-Chief of Armed Forces of Nigeria. After all, Gen.
Olusegun Obasanjo, a former President like Gen. Babangida not only spoke
out strongly on this issue but went toMaiduguriin the aim of securing
peace for the country.
“The attempt to label Chief Clark as an ethnic jingoist has no basis
whatsoever as he has always believed and maintained that no ethnic group
should be a second class citizen in Nigeria and that no Nigerian life
whether from the North or South, East or West should be wasted.
“Taking regard of his age and stature, Chief Clark wants to state
that he fully forgives Gen. Babangida whom he regards as a younger
friend for the unfortunate statement attributed to him. If anything,
Chief Clark holds the view that the thoughts and energy exerted by Gen.
Babangida against him should urgently be redirected towards finding a
lasting solution to the Boko Haram menace in the North.
A call for dialogue
“It should be restated that Chef Clark has severally emphasized the
need for dialogue with Boko Haram and other aggrieved groups with a view
to resolvingNigeria’s current security challenges.
“It is in this vein that Chief Clark speaks to his good friends in
the North, including General Babangida once again, irrespective of Gen.
Babangida’s threat of litigation, that they should openly condemn Boko
Haram and join hands with the Government and good people
ofNigeriatowards finding a lasting solution to the challenge posed by
the Boko Haram menace. Any laxity on their part would, either wittingly
and unwittingly, potentially put them out as accessories to the present
security scourge in the Northern part ofNigeria.
‘’If this simple advice above is urgently heeded, it will save Gen.
Babangida the need to wear uniform once again at the age of 71 to fight
for the unity of Nigeria.