PANDEF gives Okowa 48 hours to retract ‘attacks’ on Edwin Clark

The Pan-Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), has asked Ifeanyi Okowa, governor of Delta, to retract his “attacks” on Edwin Clark, the Ijaw national leader, within 48 hours.

Clark, in a recent letter to Okowa, alleged that the 13 percent derivation funds received by the state government were mismanaged.

The elder statesman, who described Okowa’s administration as a “reign of unaccountability”, asked the governor to step down as the running mate of Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Clark said the nomination of Okowa as Atiku’s running mate is in breach of the agreement reached by stakeholders and governors in the south that the presidency should be zoned to the region.

In his response to Clark’s letter, Okowa said there was so much “falsehood” in the elder statesman’s claims and that the expectation from a senior citizen should be actions that can unite the nation.

In a statement, on Sunday, Ken Robinson, PANDEF spokesperson, said Okowa should answer the queries raised by Clark and not “sink deeper into the pit”.

“PANDEF, thus, finds it stunning that less than 24 hours after Chief Clark wrote an open letter to the governor, raising various troubling issues, Ifeanyi Okowa has been quick to reply him; avoiding answers to the veracity of the issues raised, but dwelling on the towering image, integrity and personality of this great national icon,” PANDEF said.

“As a regional body that represents the interests of the people of the entire Niger Delta, PANDEF is compelled to note that the responses on the matter by Okowa’s commissioner for information, Charles Aniagwu, is thoughtless and disingenuous. 

“For the purpose of correcting Okowa’s messengers, and to set the records right for future generations, it is necessary to remind Okowa and his aides of some facts.

“Without doubt, there is no other Nigerian, living or dead, who has played roles to unify this country as Chief E. K. Clark has done. For over 70 years, the respected national leader has continued to play overriding nationalistic roles which was acknowledged, perhaps unintended, in the commissioner’s response to the chief’s letter.

“Our least expectation was that His Excellency would provide answers to the questions posed. Because the funds that come to Delta state are for the people of the state, thus, the demand for accountability and transparency must not be trivialised or ignored but should be answered correctly, especially for a man who dreams to become the vice president of Nigeria.

“Governor Okowa should also note the other critical issues cited in our father’s letter to him, including the question of how he emerged as vice presidential candidate to the PDP presidential flag bearer, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

“Nonetheless, PANDEF gives Ifeanyi Okowa, 48 hours to retract and withdraw his attacks on Clark in his interest.”