Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has denied claims by Elder statesman Edwin Clark that he hated the people of Niger Delta origin.
Obasanjo in an open letter to respond to accusations by the Leader of the Pan Niger Delta Forum and Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Ijaw National Congress said he had never showed anger or distraught to the Niger Delta region or any part of the country.
Clark had on Wednesday criticize Obasanjo over what he called a disappointing display of hatred against the people of the oil-producing states in Nigeria.
The elder statesman reacted to a recent statement by the former President in Abuja, where he attacked the National Secretary of the INC, Ebipamowei Wodu, at a peace and security parley convened by the Global Peace Foundation and Vision Africa.
In an open letter to Obasanjo on Wednesday titled, ‘My disappointment over your unprovoked outburst against the people of the Niger Delta region’, Clark accused the former President of double standards over resource control in the country.
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Former President Obasanjo in his response explained that as the president, he followed the constitutional positions on appointment and resource control.
He insisted that those who purchase crude from Nigeria enter into contractual relationship with Nigeria and not the Niger Delta.
Obasanjo in a letter dated December 28, 2021, titled, My response to the open letter by Clark’, wrote, “I have never shown any anger, distraught with Niger Delta region nor any part of Nigeria. Some of the languages you have deployed to describe me in your letter are offensive, uncouth and I totally and completely reject them, I am not inconsistent, hypocritical, unstatesman, nor am I anybody’s lackey.
“You use your own yardstick to judge others. I hope you think and adjust. Negotiation achieves better results than dictation. Revolution for sea-change may rarely happen and then we may continue to languish in frustration and regret with dire judgment in posterity.”
Editor: Paul Akhagbemhe
