Ohanaeze slams Clark over call to expunge Abia, Imo, Ondo from NDDC

Igbo elders, under the aegis of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, have condemned the recent call by elder statesman and leader of the Pan-Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), Chief Edwin Clark, for the Federal Government to remove Abia, Imo, and Ondo states from the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

In a statement signed by its Secretary-General, Okechukwu Isiguzoro, Ohanaeze described Clark’s proposal as “an affront to national cohesion, unity, and a promotion of ethnic bigotry.”

The group pointed out that the elder statesman’s call for the exclusion of Abia, Imo, and Ondo states from the NDDC, based on their geographical location and quantity of oil deposits, is “not only misguided but also reeks of parochialism.”

It added, “Such exclusionary suggestions are detrimental to the progress and unity of our great nation.”

The group also called on President Bola Tinubu to “disregard Clark’s unhealthy vituperation and sweep it into the dustbin of history where it belongs”.

Ohanaeze expressed his disappointment that Clark, a prominent leader of the Niger Delta region, would resort to such parochial barbarism and satanic rhetoric, instead of promoting unity and inclusivity and choosing to foster division and animosity among Nigerians.

The organisation also condemned the one-time federal commissioner for education’s disregard for the economic hardships caused by the removal of fuel subsidy, saying that his exclusionary stance and divisive rhetoric only serve to exacerbate the challenges faced by the nation.

Recall that Clark, on Wednesday, demanded President Tinubu to amend the Act establishing the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and remove non-Niger Delta oil-producing states of Abia, Imo and Ondo states from the intervention agency.

Explaining how the three states were included in the NDDC in the first place, Clark said, “During that interaction with Mr. President (Olusegun Obasanjo), we went through the drafted Bill of NDDC, which he said, he would later submit to the Attorney-General of the Federation for necessary action.

“He informed us that Northerners were opposed to the establishment of NDDC, instead they also demanded Shiroro Dam Commission and President Obasanjo advised that we should accept the three non-Niger Delta oil producing states of Abia, Imo and Ondo states in order to have their added votes of the South-East and South-West legislators for the Bill to succeed.”