Clark Faults Buhari’s Claim Of Restoring Peace To Niger Delta

Former minister and major stakeholder in the Niger-Delta, Chief Edwin Clark, says President Muhammadu Buhari should not take credit for restoration of peace to the Niger-Delta region.

Chief Clark was reacting to Mr Buhari’s recent comment that his administration had been able to bring normalcy to the oil-rich region hitherto known for its volatility.

Clark made his position known in an open letter he wrote to the president, which was made available to THE WHISTLER in Enugu on Friday.

According to the foremost elder statesman, “No doubt, a good amount of peace has come to the Niger Delta in the past few years. However, your claim as having been the main architect that brought the peace does not properly convey what transpired.

“If you will recall, your Excellency, before your government came on board, insecurity which had reduced substantially during the tenure of your predecessor resumed at a very alarming rate.

“The period saw the emergence of a new group, the Niger Delta Avengers, which virtually held your government hostage; oil production went down to as low as about 800,000 barrels per day.

“Your government adopted a military approach to quell the agitations, by deploying the so-called ‘Operation Crocodile Smile’ in August 2016, which did not in any way solve the problem.”

Clark further said President Buhari’s administration had marginalized the region, as well as abandoned many projects in the region. He also accused the president of witch-hunting some prominent people of the region who served in the previous administration, including the invasion of his home in September 2018.