*Urges Obasanjo, public to disregard it
Ayo Ola
Convener of the Pan-Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), Chief Edwin Clark, has said that he had no hand in a recent publication that cast aspersions on a former President of Nigeria, Chief Matthew Aremu Olusegun Obasanjo.
He that he did author or authorise for publication a write-up: “Bombshell about former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo.”
He explained that of recently, he has not had issues and exchanges with Chief Obasanjo that he sent out for publication.
Chief Clark, a former Federal Commissioner of Information, warned that anyone who has an axe to grind with former President Obasanjo should take it up with him and not get him involved.
These were contained in his statement made available to journalists on Wednesday. The statement was titled: ‘A Rebuttal by Chief (Dr.) E. K. Clark.’
The elder statesman unequivocally and categorically said the publication is impermissible.
He advised the general public and former President Obasanjo to discountenance the publication.
The statement read: “My attention has been drawn to a publication purportedly issued by me,
maliciously titled Bombshell, about former President, Chief Olusegun
Obasanjo.
“I state here categorically that the publication is impermissible. It is not
authorised by me. The last time I had exchanges in the media with the former President was sometime in 2021, and it was on ownership of oil. Since then, we have moved on.
“As a matter of fact, our exchanges in 2021, are not new to us. The former President and I have come a long way. We were cabinet members in the Gen.Yakubu Gowon administration; while he was the Federal Commissioner(Minister) for works & Housing, Murtala Mohammed was a Federal Commissioner (Minister) for Communication, Alhaji Shehu Shagari was the Federal Commissioner (Minister) for Finance, I was the Federal Commissioner(Minister) for Information. As it is normal, everywhere, various persons lean to different personalities and bond together. Most times, the former President and I see things differently. Incidentally, we are two of a kind in the sense that we do not know how to bottle our feelings. We will always speak out boldly and courageously on issues in different approaches, and after that, we will continue to cooperate to make our nation better. For instance, during the governments of late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and that of Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, I reacted to some of the statements of President Obasanjo which I felt were unfair to their administrations.
“In 2017, I made a publication in reply to Segun Adeniyi’s book, Against the Run of Play, in which I felt that he and former President Obasanjo maligned and insulted the Ijaw nation, former President Jonathan and myself. And that seemed to me, to be an attempt by Segun Adeniyi to appease former President Obasanjo, on some things he did to incur his (Obasanjo’s) wrath. And of course, I reacted to the said publication. It is that reaction, that reaction that mischief and depraved persons have gone to not only dig out but manipulated and padded, with their own title and language.
I repeat that recently, I have not had issues and exchanges with Chief Obasanjo which I sent out for publication. Therefore, for someone, who did not only go out to dig out an old statement I made but went ahead to change the title of the write-up and ‘padded’ my statement is the height of recklessness and wickedness. What such a person wants to achieve, is beyond me.”
He added, “This also reminds me how some two years ago or so, some mischievous
persons also tried to create problems where none existed between my beloved son, former Senate President and Governor of Kwara State, His Excellency, Sen.Bukola Saraki, when they brought out a statement I made when I advised him to have a rethink about his actions in his relationship with his father.
Unknown to them, I had made up with Dr Buloka Saraki long ago, before their depraved publication. I called Dr Bukola Saraki and, fortunately, he understood that it was the handiwork of mischief markers. Now again, they are up with this publication about former President Obasanjo on a statement I made some years ago, falsifying it.
“I did not issue the publication making the rounds. Like I said earlier, my last exchange with former President Obasanjo was over ownership of oil. And since then, we have attended meetings together, either in a representative capacity or otherwise. He even visited me not long ago when I recuperated from a very serious ailment.
“Whoever has an axe to grind with the former president should please take it up with him and leave me out of it. Factual people will bear witness that if there is one good gift Almighty God has bestowed on me, it is that of courage and boldness. I speak out my mind and take actions, boldly and courageously when and where the need arises. I do not need rabble-rousers or meddlesome interlopers to fight my battles, if any.
“I also want to use this medium to appeal to the general public and to my good friend, former President Obasanjo to discountenance the publication. I did not publish it.”