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."
