By Charles Adingupu
As friends, Associates and cabinet ministers continue to reel out impressive scorecards of the eight year rule of outgoing President, Muhammadu Buhari, Elder Statesman and Ijaw national leader, Chief Edwin Clark has dismissed such glowing tributes as misplaced praises.
The Elder Statesman stated that Nigeria is worse off under the Buhari’s administration.
Chief Clark who enumerated the catalogue of crisis that Nigerians suffered during Buhari’s administration, said the Niger Delta region suffered total neglect under Buhari’s government.
The Ijaw national leader blamed the endless killings and massacre of innocent Nigerians in their homes and farmlands in the south East and Northern regions on the lackadaisical disposition of Buhari in dealing with the perennial security challenge frontally.
Chief Clark disclosed that available reports showed that no fewer than 63,000 Nigerians were slaughtered by suspected Fulani herdsmen in North or unknown gunmen in the South East
He also noted in dismay that since the assumption of Buhari as President of Nigeria, nothing concrete was done for the people of the Niger Delta.
The Ijaw national leader stated that the Niger Delta, like other regions in Nigeria is currently experiencing abject poverty, worsening environmental pollution and total neglect of the people and the region.
He disclosed that Buhari has plunged Nigeria into perpetual debt that would take painful years of struggle to repay.
The statesman also noted that Nigerians are now more divided along ethnic and religious lines compared to 2015 when he assumed office as President.
But in a swift reaction to Chief Clark’s remarks, Special Adviser on media and publicity to the President Buhari, Mr. Femi Adesina in the Arise TV prime time news interview, said the Elder statesman is good at what he is doing.
“When former President Goodluck Jonathan was there, nothing was bad with the government. He was praising the administration.
“Today, I’m not surprised because he’s in the opposition. We don’t expect him to say anything less.
“But Nigerians know that the President has tried in providing infrastructures at the different political zones in the country,” Mr. Adesina said.
The Special Adviser also disclosed of his preparedness to embark on a three-month vacation to an undisclosed part of the world upon retirement of Buhari.
