96-year-old elder statesman and former federal commissioner for information, Chief Edwin Clark, has accused the immediate-past Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, of betraying Southern Nigeria and that the latter was being seen as traitor.
Chief Clark also accused Okowa of embezzling public funds belonging to Delta State, where he (Clark) hails from.
Speaking on the state of the nation on Arise News Channel’s The Morning Show on Wednesday, the elder statesman said he cannot keep quiet on the matter.
“Okowa has embezzled our money. We founded Delta State. I am the oldest statesman. I cannot keep quiet.
“The whole of Southern Nigeria regard Okowa as a traitor. He is a betrayer. Okowa invited and volunteered to host a meeting of the 17 Governors of the South. He provided accommodation for everyone of them. He provided his secretariat, I know the person who was the secretary to the government at the time. They were there, they drafted the communique supervised by him and given to Akeredolu to read. He read it, then they all went to Lagos to confirm it, they went to Enugu to confirm it, not knowing that the same Okowa was spending our money for Atiku. I asked him in my letter to answer it”.
He further alleged that Okowa, who denied being a shareholder of Premium Trust Bank, has his brother as the Bank Manager.
“He is a liar. His brother who was working in Zenith Bank is now a manager in Premium Bank. Emefiele from his own place is now the Managing Director of Premium Bank,” he stated.
Clark noted that as the oldest statesman in the country, he cannot keep on criticizing the Federal Government when people like former Delta Governor Okowa were complicit in the suffering of his people.
He congratulated all new Senators of the 10th National Assembly and urged them to put the interest of the nation first.
Clark also decried the plight of the Niger Delta people.
While responding to the Senate President’s promise to pay greater attention to the Niger-Delta region, he stated: “the Niger-Delta people produce all the oil in this country but we are strangers in our own home. We are poorer than when our forefathers were alive. We are suffering.
“Even my great grandfather bought a Jeep of his own. I have to travel to Daura if I want something from the benefit of the oil in my backyard. We have no light or water. We were fishermen now fishes are dying.”
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