Clark opined that young people and communities must not always be provoked to adopting unorthodox means to pursue their legitimate and unalienable rights as Nigerians Chief Edwin Clark, convener of the Pan Niger Delta Forum, has taken the Muhammadu-Buhari government to task over its alleged failure to implement the 16-point demand submitted since 2016; and accused the administration of taking the patience and patriotism of Niger Deltans for granted. He made his assertion during a press conference in his Kiagbodo country home, Delta state, on Wednesday, June 6, Punch reports.
newssplashy gathers that the elder statesman also said unemployed youths, including graduates of the amnesty programme had been denied jobs openings in the nation’s oil industry; alleging that the appointments had been skewed in favour of the North. He said: “I want to remind you all, that our (PANDEF) intervention in the direction of peace and security has continued to help the national economy and contributed substantially to its exit out of recession. “From a drop in oil production to 800,000 barrels per day in 2016, today NNPC is producing over 2.3 million barrels a day, a fourfold increase.
“The 16-point agenda which we submitted to Mr President has yet to be properly addressed. The only tangible item that has been attended to is the take-off of the Maritime University, Okerenkoko, Delta state. “Our other requests such as the setting up of a Joint Negotiating Team for sustainable peace, relocation of oil companies back to the region are all totally neglected or being addressed with unfulfilled promises.” Clark urged President Buhari to urgently take a proactive step to halt a fresh crisis in the region; as he stated that the patience of the people of the region, especially the youths, was waning. In his words:
“We want to call on the federal government, once more, to retrace its steps regarding the proverbial goose that lays the golden egg. “We continue to enjoin our people to be law-abiding and peaceful; but the total non-action and disregard are eroding the trust which our people place in our ability to continue to interface on their behalf. “We are not second-class citizens in this country and demand to be treated with respect and dignity. Our young people and communities must not always be provoked to adopting unorthodox means to pursue their legitimate and unalienable rights as Nigerians and particularly as communities from where the wealth of the country is coming.”
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