Don’t Use Me As Scapegoat For Your Failure in Office
Below
are excerpts from the open letter, dated October 26, 2015, by Chief
Edwin Clark, replying former Special Adviser on Media to ex-President
Goodluck Jonathan, Dr. Reuben Abati, and other critics over his recent
comments on the former president.
ORDINARILY at my age and position in life, I should not have to
justify myself in a press controversy on my voluntary decision to quit
partisan politics particularly when this personal and well intended act
has come under unfair politicizatio
n of persons of mediocre temperament.
For a couple of days now, I have been more bemused than angry by the
not-so-funny, but, predictably, negative ingenuity of Nigerians, aided
by an equally incredulous media, to create unpleasant things out of
nothing. It has been a circus of those convinced that they have found a
peg to hang their own, disloyalty, failure, shallowness and hatred unto,
a ball to kick around, over my statement, not for the first time, that I
was quitting partisan politics and my statement about former President
Goodluck Jonathan, for reasons so obvious that I cannot understand what
the orgy of self-flagellation is all about.
I still believe that former President Jonathan performed creditably
well in various areas. I am very proud of him and so are millions of
other Nigerians. He was good in so many areas, and did many good things
for this nation. He resuscitated the railway system that was comatose
for several decades; he engineered a robust economy for this nation; he
fought against Polio and Ebola; maternal and child health; he did much
for the power sector upon which President Muhammadu Buhari is now
building; he tarred more roads than any of his predecessors; he turned
agriculture to agro-business, a multibillion dollar business; he built
the Almajiri schools in the Northern parts of this country; he
established new federal universities across this nation; he allowed for
free speech across this nation, and did not mind when he was criticised
or, even, abused; people were not arbitrarily locked up in jail or
prison, as he truly respected the rule of law; he signed the Freedom of
Information Bill into law, which was not done by his predecessors; he
modernised the aviation sector; he convoked a National Conference that
brought Nigerians together and proffered recommendations on how to
better bind Nigerians together as one; he sanitised the electoral system
of this country, unlike what we had before him, when elections results
were announced without actually voting, when ballot snatching were
rampant and common place, he brought transparency into the electoral
process, when people could vote and the votes actually openly counted
without violence. Today he stands as the first African president to
concede an election to an opponent, even before the final counts. There
are many more achievements to his record, but because of time and space
let me end here for now. These are all lasting legacies that he has left
behind. He has certainly set a precedent for others to follow.
But no human being is perfect; only God is perfect. Therefore, to
mention an area of former President Jonathan’s inaction may not be out
of place. Every leader in this world has their fault. President Jonathan
cannot be an exception. As the late British Prime Minister Harold
MacMillan observed in his autobiography, politicians do not regret their
mistakes because they can always explain themselves; but they never
forgive themselves for opportunities they have lost. For instance,
President Barrack Obama of United States of America is frequently
attacked for not having the political will to deal with Israel over the
Palestinian question.
This does not mean that he lacks the capacity to take action against
Israel effectively or to deal with the affairs of the United States of
America or that he lacks integrity. Several years ago, the entire
Western world was being accused of lacking political will to deal with
Apartheid South Africa. This did not mean any inaction of the Western
countries by the rest of the world. It only means that President Obama
and the statesmen of the western world had other considerations in their
minds in the interest of their countries.
In keeping with my character I cannot say in private what I cannot
say in the public. I do not therefore, reject or disown Jonathan as my
beloved political son.
My open support for former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan
My support for President Goodluck Jonathan predates his presidency.
It dates back to the period when he was the Deputy Governor of Bayelsa
State. So for people who are thinking that I only knew Dr. Jonathan when
he became the President or that I was one of his hangers on, I think
there will be need to give them a little information. My relevance and
leadership of my people as an elder statesman and a critical stakeholder
in this Nigeria project far pre-dates Dr. Jonathan’s public life and
presidency. I have been relevant in politics and I have served my people
honestly and creditably well. I became very close to Dr. Goodluck
Jonathan when he was Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State. I was present in
London when the late former Governor of Bayelsa State, the Governor
General of the Ijaw Nation, Chief D.S.P. Alamieyeseigha (may his soul
rest in perfect peace), was arrested in London on the prompting of the
Nigerian government under President Olusegun Obasanjo because of his
hatred for Chief Alamieyeseigha. I had to cancel my flight to Nigeria
at the London Airport when the news of the arrest of Chief
Alamieyeseigha was conveyed to me by Ambassador Pereware from Paris. I
went with a few well-meaning Nigerians to Essex where we had been
informed that he was kept, but could not find him. We went to a few
other places before we were able to locate where he was. I remained in
London for one week with him to put in place machineries for his bail. I
recall the large-heartedness of Lady Ann Iyoha who brought out the
title deed of her property in London to secure his bail and also the
magnanimity of another woman from Amasoma, the home town of Chief
Alamiyeseigha in Bayelsa State.
When I returned to Nigeria, I went to Bayelsa State to meet with
stakeholders to see that a peaceful transition of power take place
whereby Dr. Jonathan who was the then Deputy Governor became the
governor. Ambassador Godknows Igali became the Secretary to the State
Government.
Of course, I openly supported President Jonathan not only as my son
but also as the first person to emerge from the minorities of the Niger
Delta as the President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria. I had no choice but to support him and I
have no regrets. My support is total and unyielding. If most of
President Jonathan’s close associates and political leaders exhibited
such support, by espousing all his achievements, rather than the
pretence and betrayal they were engaged in, the story today would have
been different.
It will be recalled that I had on several occasions openly criticised
the former President in the press and in my statements for actions or
inactions which were damaging to the President’s image while he was in
office. When the President failed to check the excesses of the
Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, which included his undue
interference with the activities of the EFCC, I did not fail to speak my
mind openly in opposition to the President. When the President did not
deliver on his promise to complete the construction of the East-West
Road, I did not fail to speak my mind openly.
I even told him publicly that he should not leave the South South
people poorer than he met them. When the Governors Forum appeared to
arrogate to itself powers that infringed upon those of the President in
the Constitution of Nigeria with impunity, I did not fail to criticise.
The press conferences and open letters I wrote which were carried and
published by the various media houses are there to confirm this claim.
However, with all these, my support for him was and still is total and
unshakeable.
My relationship with Jonathan was not based on material gains
It is indeed most disingenuous to insinuate that my relationship with
former President Jonathan was based on what benefits accrued to me. Far
from the truth as I never benefited any material thing from President
Jonathan in all his six years of President. With all modesty, I am at
this age contented. I state publicly therefore, that I never sought nor
obtained any contract, oil block, oil lifting allocation or financial
gratification from the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs)
during his years of administration.
Similarly, I never solicited for appointments or special placements
for any of my children or relations in any government or private concern
on account of my relationship with President Jonathan. It is,
therefore, ludicrous and totally ill-motived for these wicked and
mischievous persons to sell to the public that my decision portends a
plan to seek any special favours from President Muhammadu Buhari and his
government, or to protect those gains which I acquired from President
Jonathan’s government which never existed.
On the contrary, my public service in this country which spans over
60 years had given me the opportunity to seek the political, social and
economic development of my people and Nigeria in general. I remain
committed more than ever before to the economic, political and social
emancipation of the people of the Niger Delta, South South, the entire
minorities and the development and unity of this great nation. This was
even contained in the congratulatory letter which I wrote to President
Muhammadu Buhari, dated 3rd April, 2015.
My retirement from partisan politics
I am fast approaching 90 years and had been in active politics for
over 60 years. It came to me as a shock that misguided persons are
trying to lose their senses over my decision to quit active partisan
politics.
I was in the Niger Delta Congress (NDC), with the late sage Chief
Harold Dappa-Biriye and late His Excellency, Chief Melford Okilo between
1955 and 1959. I was in Mid West Front (MWF). I was in the National
Congress for Nigerian Citizens, NCNC. I was Secretary of the Zikist
Vanguard, London in 1962. I served in General Yakubu Gowon’s cabinet as
Minister of Information with late General Murtala Mohammed as Minister
of Commerce, General Olusegun Obasanjo as Minister of Works, Alhaji
Shehu Shagari as Minister of Finance. Today, three of these persons have
become Presidents of Nigeria. Apart from Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, the
others are no longer in active politics.
I was a member of the National Party of Nigeria, NPN. I recall with
heavy heart that most of the people with whom I played politics are
either dead or have become politically inactive. Some of them are Makama
Bida of Niger State, Maitama Sule of Kano State, K. O. Mbadiwe of Imo
State, Fani Kayode, Tanko Yakassai, Dr. Ibrahim Tahil of Bauchi State,
Adamu Ciroma of Yobe State, Alhaji Ali Monguno of Borno State, A. M. A.
Akinloye, T. O. S. Benson, Dr. Okezie of Imo State, M. T. Mbu of Cross
River State, His Royal Majesty the Olubadan of Ibadan, just to mention a
few. Not too long ago, I found myself attending a PDP caucus meeting in
Warri with young men who are grand children of my political colleagues.
Today, I sometimes move in a wheelchair. I had intimated former
President Jonathan that once the elections were over and he was sworn
into office for the second term, I will leave partisan politics and
retire to my village.
Thus, I recalled earlier receiving a request by a group with the
rather uplifting name of “Think Nigeria First Initiative” (TNFI), for a
courtesy call on me and to make me their Grand Patron. The name alone
sent sensations of kindred spirit through me and I readily accepted. I
responded, enthusiastically, naturally. It was in that context that I
said that myself at the age of nearly 89 years, and having carried my
passions of similar ideals with theirs for over 60 years, had decided
that my energies needed a paradigm restructuring. This same position I
had declared at Akure, Ondo State, on the 24th of August, 2015, at the
meeting of the Southern Nigeria Peoples Assembly, SNPA, of which, by
God’s grace, I am one of the Leaders.
I wish to refer here to the crude and unpolished language used by Dr.
Reuben Abati against me that I would have still been a PDP
card-carrying member if former President Jonathan had won the election. I
do not know the background of Dr. Abati but for him to lie and
devilishly imagine that I should have remained a PDP card-carrying
member if President Jonathan won the election is satanic.
No reader of The Guardian Newspaper, particularly its Sunday edition,
will easily forget the frequently provocative columns by Dr. Reuben
Abati. As the Chairman of the Editorial Board of the newspaper and
syndicated columnist, Abati had a freehand to write whatever he liked in
his column and could also influence other news items. I do not recall
any favourable remark made by Abati all those years when he was the
Chairman of the Editorial Board and syndicated columnist about the
former President His Excellency, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, and the
First Lady Dame Patience Jonathan.
If I recall correctly, they were always the butt of ridicule by Dr.
Reuben Abati. In fact, he became so notorious and a fearless critic of
former President Jonathan and his wife in The Guardian Newspaper that I
had to draw the attention of my cousin, the proprietor of The Guardian
Newspaper to his excesses. These vitriolic attacks on former President
Jonathan and his wife only stopped when he was appointed the Special
Adviser on Media and Publicity by the former President.
On his appointment, Aso Rock activities and Jonathan’s achievements
were not sold to the people of Nigeria. Reuben Abati will recall the
number of times when I called his attention to how he was being
negligent of his duty as the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity by
not defending President Jonathan against some of the scurrilous attacks
against him and also by not promoting his image and the well-known
achievements of his administration. My advice that a Publicity Committee
made up of eminent journalists be put in place in Aso Rock and that
media proprietors and senior journalists should be invited to Aso Rock
were jettisoned by Abati.
Dr. Reuben Abati has risen to the defence of his last employer too
late. He owes the former President apologies for his (Reuben Abati’s)
failure to perform while in office. I should not be used as a scapegoat.
I love Goodluck Jonathan and Goodluck Jonathan loves me.
I repeat again that I will like Dr. Abati to find out from his former
boss whether I did not intimate him of my intention that I will leave
active politics sometime in 2015 and return to my village after Dr.
Jonathan’s re-election as the President of Nigeria. It would be recalled
that only two weeks ago, the former PDP National Chairman, Alhaji
Bamanga Tukur, retired from partisan politics while celebrating his 80th
Birthday. Although he is much younger than me, Reuben Abati and his
likes did not feel offended. I repeat here again that I am very proud of
my family background which has produced some of the most illustrious
Nigerians and that I do not shift ground or change position. I still
regard former President Jonathan as my son. Since the change of
government, we have been in close communication on the telephone and
Jonathan has visited me over four times.
When I pointed to the former President Jonathan that most of those
who surrounded him were not loyal, sincere or patriotic but mere
opportunists. It is, therefore, unfair and unjust for Reuben Abati and
others to accuse me for saying things against former President Jonathan
while he is no longer in office. It is even more shameful that Dr. Abati
who claims to be a cultured Yoruba man, a people who have great respect
for elders, to go on this wild macabre dance to insinuate and say
outright lies against an elder statesman of my age and standing. Unknown
to him, more Nigerians know me as a person of strong principles and
ideals than he and his likes can imagine. This is why their attacks on
me have exposed them to more ridicules in the eyes of most Nigerians,
than they would have ever imagined.
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