By Ken Afor
Renowned elder statesman Edwin Clark has written an open letter to President Bola Tinubu, urging restructuring of the nation following the devastating massacre in Plateau State, which claimed the lives of more than 200 individuals on Christmas Eve.
Clark emphasized the urgent necessity for restructuring as the sole feasible remedy to tackle the unwarranted brutality, expressing profound distress over the mindless massacre that tarnished the celebratory period.
Clark praised President Tinubu for his prompt action in response to the incident. He acknowledged the deployment of Vice President Kashim Shettima, who made a firm commitment that those accountable for the massacre would face justice.
His words, “It is with dismay that Nigerians woke up in the morning, ready to embrace the Christmas festivities, only to be confronted with horrifying news of senseless slaughter of Plateau natives.
“Numerous innocent lives, including those of children, were tragically taken. This dreadful incident has been extensively covered by various Nigerian media, as well as foreign papers, such as the London Guardian, which reported a death toll of 150 on December 26, 2023, while the exact number of victims was still uncertain in Nigeria.
“I commend the President for his response to the incident by sending the Vice President, Kashim Shettima, who promised that ‘those agents of death, pain and sorrow will not escape justice’.
“Let me recall that in the past, cattle owners would often reach amicable agreements with the community regarding their desire to rear cattle for the season.
“As a result of these agreements, the cattle would graze in the area, and at the end of the season, the leaves and manure left behind by the cattle became highly beneficial to the community farmers.
“However, the situation of the old system has changed due to the intervention of politicians, who now insist on the Fulanis claiming ownership of land that rightfully belongs to others.”
The renowned Ijaw leader from Delta State emphasized that this occurrence has persisted over the last twenty years, as armed Fulani herders intentionally aim at and displace the population.
Clark, a former Federal Commissioner of Information expressed his disappointment over the government lack of decisive measures to tackle this genocide in a nation where the 1999 Constitution is disregarded and violated, forcing Nigerian citizens to forsake their residences for invaders to seize, and seek shelter in camps.
He alleged that certain politicians have been providing support to the armed herdsmen equipped with AK-47 rifles, a fact acknowledged by the authorities.
According to him, the former governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, openly revealed that the authorities were aware of these intruders and their whereabouts.
