Ijaw leader, Chief Edwin Clark, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to intervene in the castigation and harassment of the people of the Niger Delta for the maintenance of peace and stability in the region.
In the letter dated, January 22, 2016, Chief Clark specifically asked President Buhari to investigate the humiliation of Chief Government Ekpemupolo (Tompolo), the proposed scrapping of the Maritime University in Okerenkoko, Warri South West Local Government, Delta State established by former president Goodluck Jonathan and refund of the money already released for the project as disclosed by the Minister of Transportation Chiibuike Rotimi Amaechi when he appeared before Senate Committee on Marine Transport, headed by Senator Ahmed Sani.
The elder statesman advised President Buhari to be wary of some persons around him who may be misinforming him and creating problems for him.
He said that the Niger Delta region lays the golden egg, yet goes through humiliation and harassment by the government, adding, except for one or two persons, no Niger Delta person or any one from Ijawland owns an oil bloc, which are being controlled by other people from other regions.
Chief Clark condemned the renewed blowing up of major oil and gas pipelines by militants in the Niger Delta region and urged the President to bring to book all the culprits even as he said that Tompolo, a civilized Nigerian, can never be part of the renewed bombing of the pipes.
He said, “I totally condemn the vandalisation of oil and gas pipelines and will give you 100 per cent support for whatever action you take to bring the culprits to book. It is with heavy heart that I decided to take record of pipeline vandalisations that have taken place within the last two years.”
-Vanguard