VON DG decries Clark’s statement, urges him to support Govt
The Director General of the country’s media outlet, Voice of Nigeria (VON), Mr Osita Okechukwu has expressed disappointment over Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) leader Chief Edwin Clark, for giving the Federal Government ultimatum to constitute negotiation team in the Niger Delta region.
Okechukwu, speaking with newsmen on Wednesday, yesterday in Abuja advised Clark to support the President Mohammadu Bahari-led Federal Government rather than engaging in propaganda.
Clark, had recently asked the Federal Government to, as a matter of urgency, constitute a negotiation team to engage in talks with the region’s stakeholders before August 1, 2017; warning that youths of the region were becoming impatient over delay in the talks and would return to hostility after the date.
The VON DG further advised Clark to ask Niger Delta Senators what was holding the signing of the loan to start up projects in the region as promised by the Federal Government.
Okechukwu who is also a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), added that the Buhari-led Government was, however, working to ensure the delivery of true democracy dividends to Nigerians adding that Nigerians has the right to vote out the APC government in 2019 if they were not satisfied with its performance.
“We were given a four year tenure to start with, and if it suits the Nigerian people they will re-elect the APC and President Muhammadu Buhari again or any other candidate in the party.
I am not very impressed with Chief Clark, a man I have respect for because he is sounding as if everybody is opposed to devolution of power”.
Okechukwu noted that Clark during the PDP administration had the opportunity to better the lots of the people of Niger Delta but never did.
“The elder statesman rather started building a private University, married a new wife and was enjoying himself without showing seriousness in matters affecting the region and its people”, he said.
He maintained that the President Buhari-led administration though inherited almost a failed state, was determined to first, restructure the country´s substructure.
According to him, most states government owed salaries and pension arrears for 18 months when the administration came in.
The Director-General said the Buhari administration within two years of its tenure, spent about a trillion naira in bailout funds to address issues of salary arrears in states.
“The administration through a 500 million dollars foreign loan was able to rehabilitate roads in the Niger Delta which Clark never remembered to fix.
He was there in May 13, 2010 in President Jonathan’s regime when the Minister of Finance and Economy Coordinator, Dr Ngozi Okonju-Eweala told Nigerians that they have awarded 23 billion dollars for three refineries rehabilitation in the country.
“The refineries were to be in Bayelsa, Lagos and in Kogi states; we did not see the 23 billion dollars and also did not see the refineries worked on”, he stressed.
He pointed that Clark should be asked where the three refineries were and why the East-West road was not completed and the coast line not done as promised by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) government.
Speaking on the current agitation of the restructuring of the country, Okechukwu said; “we are all committed to restructuring the country but we are saying, we are starting with the restructuring of the substructures.
“The APC has also set up different committees to look at this restructuring issue, it is not that we are running away from it, so let no one pull the roof down by propaganda as the PDP which was in power for 16 years, never sincerely advocated for restructuring of the country”, stressing that “Clark and other statesmen and Nigerians generally should continue to support President Buhari for the solid foundation he is laying to return Nigerians to prosperity”.
Tom Okpe, Abuja
