Elder statesman and First Republic Federal Commissioner for Information, Chief Edwin Clark has cast aspersions on Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta.
Clark in an angry letter to Okowa dated February 2, 2023, and entitled: ‘Your dictatorial government and the reign of unaccountability in Delta State’, imputed financial improprieties, dictatorship, and betrayal to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP Vice-Presidential candidate, praying that his quest to be the country’s number 2 man should be in vain.
Extract: “Your Excellency, my letter will definitely come to you as a surprise because of my unusual silence over your nearly eight years of governance in Delta State.
“But my unusual silence does not mean I have kept a blind eye over some corruption and misuse of power by you.
“This is particularly, having regard to my activities during your predecessor’s reign where I openly criticised them, and I was tagged as a troublemaker by my detractors; hence I did not act for some time during your administration.
“It is my intention, therefore, to release some of this ugly information to Delta State people by your lack of sincerity, lack of honesty, and lack of transparent administration. This is especially as the Delta people are scared of you and unable to speak out against your government.
“Most of them have been reduced to mere robots either because of self-interest or personal patronage or the allowances they receive from the government.
“I am indeed very sad that some of our leaders from the State who betrayed us in Abuja during Goodluck Ebele Jonathan and Alhaji Atiku Abubakar’s presidential primaries in 2010/2011 have relocated to Delta State to perpetuate their evil design again. Let them be warned, otherwise, they will be exposed.”
Continued: “Today, I say with certainty that you are more dictatorial than any other Military Administrator that has administered Delta State since its creation in 1991.Most of them have been reduced to mere robots either because of self-interest or personal patronage or the allowances they receive from the government.
“I can therefore understand why you have deliberately and immorally betrayed your colleagues of Southern Nigeria and the people for your own selfish ambition by wanting to land on safer ground by accepting to serve as running mate to Atiku Abubakar.
“No, by God’s grace, your prayer will not be answered. Perhaps, you have forgotten the gravity of the offence you have committed against the people of Southern Nigeria.
“In order to cover your nefarious plot, you voluntarily induced everyone to host a meeting of the 17 Southern Governors in Government House, Asaba on Tuesday, May 11, 2021.
“You gave them a very good reception and provided them with a secretariat that drafted the communiqué under your supervision, which was ably read by the Chairman of the Southern Governors Forum, Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State.
“It was indeed a bombshell, as you collectively demanded Southern Presidency and insisted that none of you should accept to be a Vice President.
“Shortly afterwards, the Southern and Middle-Belt Leaders Forum, which I lead, gave the governor’s declaration 100 per cent support and declared that no Southern serving governors, legislators or politicians should accept to be running mate, particularly to Atiku Abubakar.
“The 17 Governors later met again in Lagos and Enugu states to affirm the decision taken in your Government House, Asaba. Little did we know that you were using this to perfect your secret plan to be running mate to Atiku Abubakar from the very beginning.
“We are therefore not surprised that you directed all the delegates from Delta State not to vote for Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State or Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State who are your neighbours but instead, they voted massively for Atiku Abubakar during the PDP presidential primaries last year.
“It would be recalled in 2007, that Delta State finances were used in funding part of the election of Umaru Musa Yar’Adua through the directive of President Olusegun Obasanjo. We were therefore not surprised when you too decided to finance Atiku Abubakar with Delta People’s money because; there is nobody to challenge you. I repeat you will not succeed.
“It is therefore in your own interest to openly apologise to your colleagues of both APC and PDP whom you deceived in taking a decision you never believed in. After your unreserved apology to your people and Southern Nigeria, you should step down your ambition of becoming a Vice-presidential candidate of the PDP. There your honour lies.
“We can now understand the reason why you are never serious with your Chairmanship of the South-South Governors Forum since this will definitely compromise your ambition.
“You never for one day joined your colleagues to condemn the atrocities being perpetrated against our people, particularly the atrocities being committed by the armed AK-47 herdsmen who invaded Uvwheru, Igbuzor, Okpanam, Abraka and very lately Patani. This is because it will annoy your Northern friends.
“However, the Southern and Middle-Belt Leaders Forum have resolved to oppose your joint candidature with Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and this we will continue to do until election day.”
A portion of the missive is devoted to corruption and abuse of office allegation.
The nonagenarian alleged the governor of corruption, abuse of office and conflict of interest.
The fiery elder statesman said the governor’s siblings are awarded government contracts, claiming one of them is involved in the construction of Prof. Chike Edozien New Civil Service Secretariat Complex, Asaba.
The VP hopeful is also said in the letter to him, to have vested interest in Premium Trust Bank and has been using the bank as conduit pipe for fraud.
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