Buhari’s position on restructuring dangerous to national unity, says Clark

Edwin Kiagbodo Clark

Ijaw national leader, Chief Edwin Kiagbodo Clark, has faulted President Muhammadu Buhari’s New Year message, especially his comment that the solution to Nigeria’s problems did not lie in restructuring.

He said the President shocked most Nigerians when, instead of reassuring the nation with his message, he clearly stood against restructuring, which was what almost everybody in Nigeria now desire.

Clark spoke in Kiagbodo, Burutu Local Council Area of Delta State, when he received a delegation from the Olu of Warri, Ogiame Ikenwoli, to further cement the peace between Ijaw and Itsekiri of Warri.

He said Buhari’s position on restructuring was inimical to the clamour for the calls from the six geopolitical zones for the urgent reconstruction of Nigeria.

His words: “A New Year speech is about reassurances to the people, but his speech shocked most of us. The issue in the country today is restructuring. All the geo-political zones are talking about restructuring and for the President to say that he does not believe what most Nigerians stood for is unacceptable.”

Clark added that it was not true that the North was against restructuring, saying that former military President, Ibrahim Babangida, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Sultan of Sokoto and Balarabe Musa and several other leaders in the North are in support of restructuring the country.

He said a situation where the 36 states go to Abuja monthly to share money was unproductive to the long-term dreams of the country.

He argued that in states where some ethnic groups cannot produce governors like Benue and Kogi where only the Tiv and Igala produce governors should be restructured.