My Dear National Acting Chairman: Once again, I wish to congratulate you on our recent victory at the polls which was widely adjudged as the freest, fairest and credible.
My Dear National Acting Chairman: Once again, I wish to congratulate you on our recent victory at the polls which was widely adjudged as the freest, fairest and credible.
It is my strong suggestion that you should immediately embark on some reformation of the party and to carry out some reconciliation of the various factions of the party and some defected aggrieved members of the party. You will agree with me that so much damages was done to the party during various primaries in various states of the federation.
Many aggrieved party members left the party to contest on the platform of other parties and I am confident that most of these PDP members are still PDP members at heart and are willing to return to the party if genuine, proper reconciliation is carried out as was done by Chief Dr. Alex Ekwueme’s Committee in 2007. In addition to the reconciliation, the party needs reforms which must be drastically executed at all levels without fear or favour and/or hindrance.
The Committee and the Reconciliatory team of reformers must be men and women of impeccable character, dedicated and courageous and must be reformers who cannot be corrupted or sway by ethnicity and religious bias.
The factionalization of the party leading to various ethnic groups must stop because this is responsible for the multiplicity in ministerial list being sent to your office. It is ridiculous and very very untidy for you to receive over 450 names from the 36 states instead of 360 names or thereabout.
Hence, I have decided to address an open letter to you on the state of the party and to offer you some advice for the overall benefit of the entire people of Nigeria, who voluntarily and willingly voted for Mr. President, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan on 16th April, 2011 irrespective of religion, ethnicity, geo-political zone and political divide.
However, let me dispel the notion that I am writing this Open letter to you because of my relationship with Mr. President, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. I have always have my independent political views largely based on equity, justice and fair-play. I have therefore decided to reproduce hereunder, part of a similar memorandum I addressed to former National Chairman of the PDP in June, 2007, which was published in the national dailies after President Olusegun Obasanjo had handed over to President Umaru Musa Yar’adua of blessed memory on 29th May, 2007:
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‘‘June, 2007
PRESS RELEASE
CHIEF E.K. CLARK ADVICES CHIEF OBASANJO TO LEAVE
PRESIDENT YAR’ADUA ALONE
Many Nigerians have observed with dismay, embarrassment and disappointment the role of former President Olusegun Obasanjo in interfering with the new administration of Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. This is indeed very unprecedented in any democratic system anywhere in the world.
It must be remembered that the very time Alhaji Yar’Adua took over the administration of government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Chirac of France had also given up power to a new President elected in France. And Mr. Chirac has since retired into the background as a former President of France. Only last Wednesday, 27th June, 2007, Mr. Tony Blair the former Prime Minister of Great Britain and Ireland relinquished power to his long time friend, Mr. Gordon Brown, and has since forgotten he was ever Prime Minister of Great Britain. Immediately after Mr. Blair’s departure, the next Prime Minister undesirably named his cabinet, and today Gordon Brown is in full control.
Nigerians are now worried why after one month no Minister nor Special Adviser have been appointed by the new well meaning and innocent administration of Alhaji Yar’Adua. We have been reliably informed that the former President of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo has not only interfered with the list of ministerial nominees, but has either imposed candidates or substituted names or has out rightly rejected some nominees which is not the practice anywhere in the world.
We have also been reliably informed that the opportunity created for reconciliation to win over aggrieved members of the PDP has because of Chief Obasanjo’s dictatorial tendencies been put on hold. His overt and covert action, his meddling and aggressive take over of the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of PDP have stalled the activities of the present administration. It has therefore become meaningless for the PDP National Executive Committee (NEC) to appoint a reconciliation committee under the Chairmanship of His Distinguished Excellency, Chief (Dr.) Alex Ekwueme, former Vice President of Nigeria, when it realized that the Ekwueme Committee will not be successful in its duties with Obasanjo as Chairman, Board of Trustees (BOT).
The former President is strongly advised not to interfere with the administration of Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, and should not regard the new President’s respect for age and office of the former President as a sign of weakness or ineffectiveness.
Nigerians are in full support of the Yar’Adua Administration and any attempt by any person or groups of persons to create problems for the administration would be seriously resisted and condemned by Nigerians. Nigerians would want to know in what capacity the former President summoned the governors of the South-West to his Ota Farm? And Nigerians will also want to know what was discussed at the meeting? We learnt that at that meeting, the ex-President addressed the Governors in stern language.
Is it as the Chairman, Board of Trustees of the PDP or as a Tribal leader that he presided over that meeting? It is also understood that the former President would like to preside over the caucus meeting of the party where policy issues of the Yar’Adua administration would be discussed and formulated. This is unacceptable to the entire people of Nigeria because Alhaji Yar’Adua is the President of Nigeria and not of a political party.
One may then ask a question: whether this was a practice during Obasanjo’s time? Whereby the party Chairman presided over the caucus of the party that is if there was a caucus at all?
Finally, I have nothing against my good friend and I believe some of us who have attained certain age should be able to freely express our minds in the interest of our great country, because we have a duty to create a better country for the present generation and those yet unborn.
As I have always said, and has remained a guiding principle, is that, when you are at 70 years and above, you are at the departure lounge awaiting your boarding pass. Therefore, you should be courageous enough to speak the truth and condemn all that is unjust, unfair and inequitable. For we have already paid our dues and ready for the ultimate passage”.
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I have also decided to addressed this similar letter to you as the Acting National Chairman of our great party, PDP to ease the unwarranted pressure on the Presidency by some leaders of our party, to impose or present to Mr. President all sort of names that are not fit and proper to be appointed as Ministers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. If it is true that each party leader in each of the 36 States was to submit 10 names to Mr. President, it therefore means that about 450 names must have been submitted to your Secretariat because, in some States like Anambra, there were four list sent by different factional leaders, while in other States like Delta, Edo and Lagos etc. At-least two lists have been forwarded to the National Secretariat of the party.
Most of the party leaders in the various States did not think of the overall interest of Nigerians, but mainly concerned with their own personal selfish interest because they believe that, Mr. President may not have opportunity and time to critically examine these lists. For instance, in Edo State, 10 names were submitted by the leader of one of the factions Chief Tony Anenih While Dr. S.O. Ogbemudia submitted another list, and on critical examination from the Newspaper comments and investigation of the names submitted, it is ridiculous and unpatriotic for one of these two leaders to submit 5 members’ names that are closely related to him out of the 10 names, and he is taking undue advantage of his unwarranted and undesirable presence at the Villa to pressurize Mr. President at all times to take one of his relations to be appointed as Minister.
This is definitely unfair to Mr. President and to all Nigerians because Chief Tony Anenih no longer holds any position in the party and government to necessitate his everyday visit to the villa.
At this juncture, it may be necessary to publish the 5 names out of the 10 names;
(i) Mr. Joe Akhabue (Uromi) his 1st Cousin
(ii) Mr. Giwa Agbominele (Ubiaja) his domestic PA that manned his Boys’ quarter in his Asokoro home
(iii) Mrs. Sarah Adetugbogbo (Benin) his wife’s senior sister who was erstwhile Commissioner in Oshiomhole’s government
(iv) Arc. Mike Ononolemen (Uromi) his 1st Cousin whom he made Minister of state for Defence in Olusegun Obasanjo’s government.
(v) Mr. Clifford Odia his Personal Assistant
It must be emphasized, even though Mr. President was the official candidate of PDP, every political party in Nigeria with the exception of core CPC members, voted for Mr. President as a person and not as a party candidate. Therefore, PDP leaders particularly those who cannot win their State should not hover around the Presidency to the disadvantage of other Nigerians who have also have equal claims to Mr. President.
Similarly, I am also very proud and confident to say that there is no inaugural ceremony of any Head of State or President in this country whether in Lagos or in Abuja since independence which was celebrated with fanfare and attended by about 40 Heads of States which was characterized by a colourful display by the military and civilians of all shades and opinions.
The resulting effect is that Nigerians and the world expect so much from Mr. President within the next 4 years in the areas of infrastructural development, power, education, security, health and availability of petroleum products resulting in the growth of political and economic development.
These expectations can only be achieved or fulfilled with the appointment of capable, competent, incorruptible technocrats, patriotic and dedicated Nigerians irrespective of where they come from. The high expectations demanded from a President is definitely higher than that which is expected from previous Head of state and President because Nigeria now needs reformation and a drastic change.
Now that Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan GCFR has been elected President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the anxious Nigerians in their expectations for the good things to come, demand a fresh breath of the Presidency, men and women and the gesture of new blood, there should be no room for sentiment or personal consideration.
Political party demands or requests must be examined carefully and His Excellency’s choice should not be limited to the list submitted by the party. He should stretch his hands within and outside Nigeria to men and women of competent and proven integrity. Any mistake in the appointment of incompetent, corrupt men and women who do not enjoy the confidence of Nigerians particularly some of those who were in the presidency now, will not only be a betrayal of trust, but a disaster to the President and the entire people of Nigeria.
In my own State, Delta State, where our faction also submitted a list, is it not ridiculous that our Delta state and the Chairman of Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan’s faction Barr. Peter Nwaoboshi the State Chairman of Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan’s faction disowne and dissociated himself from the list sent by Governor Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan which included some agents of the former governor of Delta State Chief James Onanefe Ibori, who is now standing trial in London for looting the treasury of the people of Delta State. It will be recalled that an Ibori agent in the person of Mr. David Edevbie was appointed as a Principal Secretary to the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and was indicted by the Metropolitan police in London for money laundering. It will not be an over statement, if similar situation do not exist in most other states.
We have also observed with dismay where some government functionaries who have been relieved of their appointments are still pressurizing Mr. President to re-appoint them, still occupied their seats and moving around with Mr. President. Mr. Acting Chairman, you have a duty to discourage and prevent these functionaries who are party members to leave Mr. President alone. They should not take undue advantage of Mr. President’s humility and respect for his fellow Nigerians.
Take note that for the first time in the political history of Nigeria since independence, there is no Head of State or President who has enjoyed the support of Nigerians irrespective of religious, ethnicity and political divide resulting in Mr. President’s winning 31 out of 36 states and only failed to win 25% in 5 states.
Kindly accept the assurances of my highest consideration and personal esteem.
Yours sincerely,
CHIEF (DR.) E.K. CLARK OFR, CON
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