The Convener of the Pan Niger Delta Forum, Chief Edwin Clark, has stated that President Muhammadu Buhari’s New Year massage was not for Nigerians.
He said this was because the President’s address failed to treat the big issue of restructuring.
Faulting Buhari’s position on the ongoing agitations for restructuring of the country, Clark described the Presidential speech as not only wrong, but “very” disappointing.
The Ijaw leader spoke with reporters at his Kiagbodo home town in Burutu Council Area of Delta State after a delegation from the Olu of Warri paid him a courtesy visit on Thursday.
Clark stated that Nigerians were all in one mind on the restructuring of the country, asking Buhari not to draw Nigerians backward.
Clark said, “Mr. President was not addressing Nigerians. The New Year’s Day speech was supposed to be an address to the people, telling them what he had done or what he was doing. The current discussion in Nigeria today is restructuring.
“The Afenifere, the governors and others are all discussing restructuring. The people of the South- South are the most affected.
“Eighty seven per cent of the national revenue comes from the South-South. Nigerians believe in restructuring. I was very much disappointed that the President said he did not want restructuring.
“Northerners are talking about restructuring; you have heard the Sultan of Sokoto and Balarabe Musa. All of them are part of the majority of Nigerians talking about restructuring.
“El- Rufai heads the All Progressives Congress committee on restructuring. Even the northerners have not rejected restructuring.
“The National Assembly has no choice but to follow what the people are saying. If the majority of Nigerians say they want restructuring , the National Assembly has no choice.
“Nigeria must solve the structural problem in the country whereby only some ethnic groups can be governors in a state; where some regions have more states and local governments than others. If we don’t restructure Nigeria, some people will be treated as second class citizens.”
Source: Daily Post
