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Respected statesman and Ijaw leader, Chief Edwin Clark is championing a cause for Igbo inclusion in Nigeria’s affairs, urging their absolute inclusion into the country’s mainstream politics. Also, he has renewed his plea for the immediate and unconditional freedom of Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
Clark’s impassioned open letter to President Tinubu, his second in as many weeks, echoes through the halls of Abuja, pleading for bold leadership to quell the South East’s escalating insecurity and economic turmoil.
The sudden axing of Dr. Solomon Arase as chairman of the Police Service Commission has drawn the ire of the Pan Niger Delta Forum, which is now demanding answers and prompting a fresh wave of uncertainty in the Niger Delta.
Senator Emmanuel Ibok Essien, chairman of the PANDEF, slammed the dismissal of Dr. Solomon Arase as a “gross injustice” in a statement released Sunday, setting off a firestorm of controversy.
Clark said: “I have never supported the activities of IPOB under the leadership of Nnamdi Kanu, but today, Nigeria, a broken country where many groups and nativities have cried foul to the way Nigeria had been going since 1999 because of the military constitution imposed on Nigerians by the military.
“Today, our economy is failing, our democracy is failing, our education and health institutions are collapsing, the youths are jobless and some people are treated as second class citizens while a few enjoy the fruit of the so-called democracy we are passing through.
“If we allow the violence and insecurity in the South-East to continue, the consequences will be very unpleasant to all Nigerians.
“It was because of this, that I called on President Muhammadu Buhari to accept the Court of Appeal Judgement on Nnamdi Kanu.
“Apart from demanding for the restructuring of Nigeria, the political freedom of Nnamdi Kanu will no doubt complete the reconciliation of Nigeria and bring an end to the needless Monday sit-at-home order, which has disturbed businesses and civil activities in the South-East.
Read also: Clark Cautions Tinubu Against Marginalizing Igbo Community
“The short-changing of the Igbos of the South-East over the years is the reason why IPOB has fashioned a place for itself in the hearts and minds of the young people in the southeast with its demand for self-determination.
“I have physically seen these IPOB boys in action, at the Ekwueme Square in Awka, Anambra State, when I attended a meeting of the Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum there.
“It is indeed a movement of youths who are justifiably angry with the way and manner the affairs of the country are being conducted and particularly the marginalization of the Igbos but are misguided.
“None of these youths witnessed the civil war and are, definitely, not abreast with the history of the war and its full ramifications.
“I advise, therefore, that rather than the use of military force which has already proved counter-productive, they should be carefully treated with the “carrot and stick approach”, in the interest of the peace, stability and progress of Nigeria as a whole and the South East zone in particular.”
On its part, the statement by PANDEF on ex-IGP Arase’s sack read: “We express profound disappointment, and denounce the unjust manner in which Dr. Solomon Arase, a former Inspector General of Police, was relieved of his duties as chairman of the Police Service Commission by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Monday, 10th June 2024
“PANDEF views Arase’s removal as unwarranted and an unnecessary provocation that reflects negatively on Tinubu’s administration, indicating a lack of regard for the nation’s laws that Mr. President swore to uphold and protect.
“This singular act further portrays this administration as one that does not prioritize competence, integrity, and efficiency; sacrificing merit on the altar of favoritism.
The Pan-Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) is questioning the removal of Solomon Arase as Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC) by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Arase, a former Inspector General of Police, was appointed to the position in January 2023 and had implemented positive reforms before his sudden removal after only 16 months.
PANDEF cites the Police Service Commission Act 2002, which states that a member of the commission shall hold office for a term of four years, unless removed under specific conditions such as bankruptcy, conviction of a felony, or serious misconduct.
The group is demanding that President Tinubu disclose the reason for Arase’s removal, which they believe was unjustified.
