The Ijaw National Leader, Edwin Clark has lashed out on President Muhammadu Buhari over his position on the restructuring debate that is ongoing in the country.
Clark condemned Buhari’s New Year address stating that it did not meet the expectations of people.
The Ijaw leader spoke with journalists at his Kiagbodo home town in Burutu Council Area of Delta State after a delegation from the Olu of Warri paid him a courtesy visit on Thursday.
Reacting to the President’s comment on restructuring, Clark emphasized that Nigerians were all in unison on the restructuring of the country, asking Buhari not to draw Nigerians backward.
Clark said, “Mr. President was not addressing Nigerians. The New Year’s Day speech was supposed to be an address to the people, telling them what he had done or what he was doing. The current discussion in Nigeria today is restructuring.
“The Afenifere, the governors and others are all discussing restructuring. The people of the South-South are the most affected. Eighty seven per cent of the national revenue comes from the South-South. Nigerians believe in restructuring. I was very much disappointed that the President said he did not want restructuring.
“Northerners are talking about restructuring; you have heard the Sultan of Sokoto and Balarabe Musa. All of them are part of the majority of Nigerians talking about restructuring. El-Rufai heads the All Progressives Congress committee on restructuring. Even the northerners have not rejected restructuring.
“The National Assembly has no choice but to follow what the people are saying. If the majority of Nigerians say they want restructuring, the National Assembly has no choice. Nigeria must solve the structural problem in the country whereby only some ethnic groups can be governors in a state; where some regions have more states and local governments than others. If we don’t restructure Nigeria, some people will be treated as second class citizens.”
He appealed to the President to change his leadership style and be more concerned about national issues.
