Ijaw leader and elder statesman, Chief Edwin Clark has taken a swipe at those criticizing him for dumping the Peoples Democratic Party [PDP] and his declaration that former President Goodluck Jonathan lacked the political will to fight corruption.
The former information minister said the insinuations by his critics were maliciously misconstrued, saying it was disingenuous to insinuate that his relationship with former President Goodluck Jonathan was based on material benefits.
With a volte face, Chief Clark recanted his earlier controversial claim that Jonathan lacked the will to fight corruption. In an interview with Saturday Sun in his Abuja residence on Wednesday, Clark said Jonathan was a leader with the will to battle graft.
He further dismissed with a wave of the hand, claims that his decision to quit active politics was influenced by the defeat of Jonathan at the presidential poll.
Clark specifically described as satanic, the statement by former Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to Jonathan, Dr. Reuben Abati that he would have remained a PDP card carrying member if former President Jonathan had won re-election.
Chief Clark exonerated himself from the various allegations of betrayal levelled against him, adding that close associates of the former President and some party leaders sold Jonathan out.
His words: “My statements on President Jonathan and my quitting partisan politics were wickedly, sensationally presented.
“It must be admitted that President Jonathan was very willing to fight corruption, but he believed that due process should and must be followed otherwise he could have initiated investigations into the scandals of Halliburton, Siemens and other serious alleged corruption charges levelled against some former Heads of State and other prominent Nigerians.
“Jonathan believed that there are institutions set up by the government, such as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commissions (EFCC) and other anti-graft agencies.
“Regrettably, some of those who surrounded him led by the Attorney General, Alhaji Hassan Tukur, made it impossible for these institutions to work either by stopping them from arresting offenders or prosecuting some of the cases.
“Over 50 high profile corruption cases are still pending in the various courts for over eight years now. Laughable plea bargains and out of court settlements became the order of the day.
“It was at this juncture, when there was general complaint about the government not aggressively fighting corruption, that I addressed an open petition to the then Chief Justice of the Federation, Justice Dahiru Musdapher, November 2 , 2011, complaining that most of those charged to court, especially former governors who have become senators, were still pending.
“He promptly replied my letter on November 3. Most of the petitions written against some prominent Nigerians, addressed to the anti-graft agencies, did not see the light of the day.
“Ironically, the perpetrators of these corrupt actions were the same persons who attacked Jonathan’s inability to eradicate corruption.
“It is indeed most disingenuous to insinuate that my relationship with the former President was based on what benefits accrued to me. That is far from the truth as I never benefited any material thing from President Jonathan in all his six years as President.”
Clark who attributed the defeat of Jonathan at the polls to the inability of Abati to sell the achievements of the then president to Nigerians saying he was being negligent of his duty as the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity.
“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 imagined that I should have remained a PDP card carrying member if 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. Abati. In fact, he became so notorious and fearless a 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 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.
“Dr. Reuben Abati has risen to the defence of his last employer too late. He owes the former President apologies for his [Reuben Abati] failure to perform while in office. I should not be used as a scapegoat. I love Goodluck Jonathan and Goodluck Jonathan loves me.”
Besides, Clark said his relationship with former President Jonathan predates his presidency and that it was not for material benefit as some mischief people would want Nigerians to believe.
The statement reads;
“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 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.
“My support for 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 DSP Alamieyeseigha, was arrested at the prompting of the Nigerian government under Olusegun Obasanjo because of his hatred for Alamieyeseigha.
“I had to cancel my flight to Nigeria at the London airport when news of the arrest of 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 Alamieyeseigha in Bayelsa State.
On his decision to quit active politics, Clark stated “I am fast approaching 90 years and had been in active politics for over 60 years. It came to me as a shock that
