Politics
By Tennyson Sampson
ELDER statesman Edwin Clark has said that he has confidence that the newly elected Senate President will do the Niger Delta area a whole lot of good.
Speaking on Arise Television programme on Wednesday, June 14, 2023, Clark said:
“When Senator Godswill Akpabio came to me on a consultative visit few days before the inauguration of the 10th National Assembly, I gave him my blessing because I know he is experienced enough and has the capacity to contribute to the developments in the Region.”
The former Federal Commissioner for Information and Ijaw leader, who turned 96 this month, said that Senator Akpabio was a visionary governor, who transformed Akwa Ibom State. He added that political tussles between the then minister of works and some elements in the federal government didn’t allow Akpabio, who was the former Minister of the Niger Delta Affairs to do much work on the West-East road.
On the issue of removal of fuel subsidy and the expectation of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, Clark said that it was rather too early to comment on his administration because the result of the election was still before the election petition tribunal.
Speaking on the situation of the Niger Delta region and the derivation fund for oil producing states, he lamented that despite the fact that the area that was producing the most quantity of oil in the state, “is still so marginalized”. He stated that it is so bad that sometime he had to travel to places like Daura just to get approval or benefits of things that are domiciled in his town.
He stated that the former Rivers state governor, Nyesom Wike in one of his press conferences disclosed that the entire governors in the area had been paid their 13% derivation by former President Muhammadu Buhari, but in Delta State in particular, former Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa failed to make proper use of the money.
He called on the federal government and every other stakeholders to join hands and develop the oil producing areas of the country.
Tags: Edwin Clark Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa Muhammadu Buhari Nyesom Wike Senator Godswill Akpabio
