Edwin Clark, elder statesman and Ijaw national leader, says
he has always been in support of the fight against corruption, recalling how he
challenged former President Olusegun Obasanjo for having just N20,000 when he
left prison but is now one of the wealthiest ex-presidents in West Africa.
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| Edwin Clark |
Addressing reporters at his Warri, Delta state residence on
Friday, Clark said he confronted Obasanjo with this allegation in the era of
former President Goodluck Jonathan. Maintaining that Nigerians know his stance against
corruption, Clark spoke on the role he played in the conviction of James Ibori,
former Delta state governor, who is currently serving a jail term in London. “I talked about corruption during the time of erstwhile President
Obasanjo and Yar’ Adua,” he said.
“During Jonathan’s time, I accused Chief Obasanjo that he
was the most corrupt ex-president Nigeria had ever produced. I said that he
left prison with only N20,000, but today he is one of the wealthiest former presidents
in the whole of West Africa. “I was also in the forefront of fighting our former
governor, Chief James Ibori, leading to him being sentenced UK. Every Nigerian
is aware of this. I led the crusade against him especially when a judge dropped
the charges against him.”
Clark said people accusing him of not speaking against
corruption were “unpatriotic”.
Responding to a recent critical piece against him, the Ijaw
leader said: “Ordinarily, I shouldn’t have reply to it because whoever is the
author is vicious, wicked and not a patriotic Nigerian. Otherwise, he wouldn’t
have written I never spoke against corruption during the time of former
President Goodluck Jonathan. “I said the author is being vicious because I have been
talking about corruption even before the time of Jonathan.”
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