Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has said he had never shown anger or distraught to the Niger Delta region or any part of the country.
Obasanjo said this and more in response to Chief Edwin Clark’s accusation that he(Obasanjo’s) disdain and insincerity for the people of Niger Delta have not in any way reduced.
Clark, the leader of the Pan Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF, and Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Ijaw National Congress, INC, had written an open letter to Obasanjo.
In it he said Obasanjo’s comments that the oil found in the Niger Delta does not belong to the people of the region represents his continuous arrogant stance and disposition against Niger Delta.
Obasanjo had, at a peace and security parley convened by the Global Peace Foundation and Vision Africa in Abuja, attacked the National Secretary of the INC, Ebipamowei Wodu.
However, replying in a letter dated December 28, Obasanjo said what Clark called an outburst is his(Obasanjo’s) way of getting people/listeners’ attention.
In the letter titled “My response to the open letter by Clark”, Obasanjo said: “Let me proceed with the most basic constitutional fact that you cannot have two entities in a sovereign State.”
He insisted that those who purchase crude from Nigeria enter into contractual relationship with Nigeria and not the Niger Delta. He addressed the issue of hatred for the region: “I have never shown any anger, distraught with Niger Delta region nor any part of Nigeria.
“Some of the languages you have deployed to describe me in your letter are offensive, uncouth and I totally and completely rejected them.
“I am not inconsistent, hypocritical, unstatesman, and nor am I anybody’s lackey.
“You use your own yardstick to judge others. I hope you think and adjust. Negotiation achieves better results than dictation.”