By Oghenekevwe Laba
Few days after the declaration of the Minister of Niger Delta, Elder Godsday Orubebe as 2015 Delta State Governor aspirant under the platform of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ijaw Leader and PDP Elder Statesman, Chief Edwin Kiagbodo Clark has lambasted the Minister describing his action as an embarrassment to President Goodluck Jonathan, PDP leaders and the party faithfuls.
Condemning the declaration of Orubebe in a press conference held yesterday in Warri, Delta State, in which he appealed to politicians not to heat up the system, Clark who was holidaying in United Kingdom when Orubebe declared his intention to contest for the number position in the state, said the their opponents and detractors are cashing in on Orubebe’s careless and irresponsible statement that it is the turn of Ijaw man to rule Delta State and are now using it to insult President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, the Ijaws and even himself on the excuse that he and Jonathan were behind him.
“I have tried to disabuse the minds of the people and denied that neither Mr. President nor myself were aware of Orubebe’s statement and action. The calls to my telephone have not stopped, hence my decision to address the people of Delta State on the issue,” Clark said.
Clark who argued that Orubebe action is a fragrant disrespect for Mr. President who directed that none of his Ministers and other government functionaries should engage in politics as to declaring their intentions or supporting any one for elective position including Senatorial, House of Representatives or Gubernatorial until 2014, advised the Minister not to allow the spoils of office to de-rail him or cause him to take wrong judgment, just as he pointed out that he is aware that all his other colleagues and other government functionaries have religiously obeyed the Presidential order, while Orubebe was the only one who flouted the order.
According to the former Minister of Information, , “It would be recalled that Mr. President has made his position very clear on this matter. He has categorically stated that he was not going to take a decision on whether he will re-contest the Presidential Election in 2015 until 2014 and that he needed time to concentrate on the job he promised Nigerian people during 2011 election when they massively voted for him. This statement of Mr. President has been repeated by the PDP National Chairman and other party faithful or leaders.
“Mr. President further directed that none of his Ministers and other government functionaries should engage in politics as to declaring their intentions or supporting any one for elective position including Senatorial, House of Representatives or Gubernatorial. Mr. Godsday Orubebe, therefore, cannot claim ignorance of this Mr. President’s directive. His flagrant disobedience is no doubt an embarrassment to Mr. President, to the leaders of the party and party faithful, particularly to me that everybody believes contributed greatly to his becoming a Minister having regard to the opposition from the former Governor of Delta State, Chief James Onanefe Ibori and his supporters against it. “Perhaps, Mr. Goddsday Orubebe has also forgotten how I accompanied him to the State House in Abuja after his confirmation at the Senate as a Minister and to be sworn in as Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria with three other colleagues of his. And the embarrassment caused to me when the former Secretary to the Federal Government Amb. Babagana Kingibe came to inform me that Mr. President has decided not to swear in Mr. Orubebe. I left the Executive Chambers with Mr. Goddsday Orubebe and his wife in disgrace, but later summed up courage to address the State House Press on the issue. It is, therefore, my advice to the Honourable Minister not to allow the spoils of office to de-rail him or cause him to take wrong judgement. I am aware that all his other colleagues and other government functionaries have religiously obeyed the Presidential order. It is unfortunate and ridiculous that Mr. Goddsday Orubebe should be the one to flout this order.
“There are five ethnic groups occupying the three Senatorial Zones of Delta State. They are Delta Central Senatorial Zone with 8 Local Government Councils which is made up of the Urhobos; Delta North Senatorial Zone with 9 Local Government Councils made up of the Ikas, Ndokwas and the Aniochas; while Delta South with 8 Local Government Councils is made up of the Ijaws, the Isokos, the Itsekiris, the Urhobos of Agbassa and the Urhobos of Okere.
“The assertion by Mr. Goddsday Orubebe that the governorship should be produced on ethnicity and for him to state that the Urhobos and the Itsekiris have produced Governors and that the Ijaws, the Isokos and the Ndokwas have not produced Governors is not correct. The Honourable Minister knows that the Ndokwas belong to the North Senatorial Zone where you have the Ikas and the Aniochas, and not to the South Senatorial Zone who have also not produced a Governor. The five ethnic nationalities have to live together having regard to the immediate past fratricidal war between the Ijaws, the Itsekiris and the Urhobos of Warri. Nothing should therefore be done to pitch one ethnic: nationality against the other. We must emphasize those things that bind the people together.”
He advised those detractors who have resorted to abuse or insult Mr. President, the Ijaws and himself for no justifiable reason to desist from it, maintaining that Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan is the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and not an ljaw President.
“He was elected by the entire people of Nigeria. He should not be held responsible for the actions of any Ijaw man. Today it is Dr. Jonathan’s turn, tomorrow it is going to be the turn of another man. It is my humble expectation that the PDP National Chairman will call Mr. Goddsday Orubebe to order and advise him to withdraw these Court Cases he instituted gainst Delta State PDP so as to allow peace to reign in the Party and in Delta State,” he said, adding that if the Ijaws are asked by the Delta State PDP for the Ijaws to produce a gubernatorial candidate, it would not be Orubebe and he is fully aware of that.